Characterization and Genomic Analysis of a New Phage Infecting Helicobacter pylori

Bacteriophages in nature: recent advances in research tools and diverse environmental and biotechnological applications

Bacteriophages infect and replicate within bacteria and play a key role in the environment, particularly in microbial ecosystems and bacterial population dynamics. The increasing recognition of their significance stems from their wide array of environmental and biotechnological uses, which encompass the mounting issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Beyond their therapeutic potential in combating antibiotic-resistant infections, bacteriophages also find vast applications such as water quality monitoring, bioremediation, and nutrient cycling within environmental sciences. Researchers are actively involved in isolating and characterizing bacteriophages from different natural sources to explore their applications. Gaining insights into key aspects such as the life cycle of bacteriophages, their host range, immune interactions, and physical stability is vital to enhance their application potential. The establishment of diverse phage libraries has become indispensable to facilitate their wide-ranging uses. Consequently, numerous protocols, ranging from traditional to cutting-edge techniques, have been developed for the isolation, detection, purification, and characterization of bacteriophages from diverse environmental sources. This review offers an exploration of tools, delves into the methods of isolation, characterization, and the extensive environmental applications of bacteriophages, particularly in areas like water quality assessment, the food sector, therapeutic interventions, and the phage therapy in various infections and diseases.

Application of biomaterials in the eradication of Helicobacter pylori: A bibliometric analysis and overview

Helicobacter pylori is a prominent cause of gastritis, peptic ulcer, and gastric cancer. It is naturally colonized on the surface of the mucus layer and mucosal epithelial cells of the gastric sinus, surrounded not only by mucus layer with high viscosity that prevents the contact of drug molecules with bacteria but also by multitudinous gastric acid and pepsin, inactivating the antibacterial drug. With high-performance biocompatibility and biological specificity, biomaterials emerge as promising prospects closely associated with H. pylori eradication recently. Aiming to thoroughly summarize the progressing research in this field, we have screened 101 publications from the web of science database and then a bibliometric investigation was performed on the research trends of the application of biomaterials in eradicating H. pylori over the last decade utilizing VOSviewer and CiteSpace to establish the relationship between the publications, countries, institutions, authors, and most relevant topics. Keyword analysis illustrates biomaterials including nanoparticles (NPs), metallic materials, liposomes, and polymers are employed most frequently. Depending on their constituent materials and characterized structures, biomaterials exhibit diverse prospects in eradicating H. pylori regarding extending drug delivery time, avoiding drug inactivation, target response, and addressing drug resistance. Furthermore, we overviewed the challenges and forthcoming research perspective of high-performance biomaterials in H. pylori eradication based on recent studies.

Phage therapy: From biological mechanisms to future directions

Increasing antimicrobial resistance rates have revitalized bacteriophage (phage) research, the natural predators of bacteria discovered over 100 years ago. In order to use phages therapeutically, they should (1) preferably be lytic, (2) kill the bacterial host efficiently, and (3) be fully characterized to exclude side effects. Developing therapeutic phages takes a coordinated effort of multiple stakeholders. Herein, we review the state of the art in phage therapy, covering biological mechanisms, clinical applications, remaining challenges, and future directions involving naturally occurring and genetically modified or synthetic phages.