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Kelly L, Jameson E. Bacteriophage cocktail shows no toxicity and improves the survival of Galleria mellonella infected with Klebsiella spp. J Virol 2024; 98:e0027224. [PMID: 38771043 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00272-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Klebsiella spp. are causative agents of healthcare-associated infections in patients who are immunocompromised and use medical devices. The antibiotic resistance crisis has led to an increase in infections caused by these bacteria, which can develop into potentially life-threatening illnesses if not treated swiftly and effectively. Thus, new treatment options for Klebsiella are urgently required. Phage therapy can offer an alternative to ineffective antibiotic treatments for antibiotic-resistant bacteria infections. The aim of the present study was to produce a safe and effective phage cocktail treatment against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Klebsiella oxytoca, both in liquid in vitro culture and an in vivo Galleria mellonella infection model. The phage cocktail was significantly more effective at killing K. pneumoniae and K. oxytoca strains compared with monophage treatments. Preliminary phage cocktail safety was demonstrated through application in the in vivo G. mellonella model: where the phage cocktail induced no toxic side effects in G. mellonella. In addition, the phage cocktail significantly improved the survival of G. mellonella when administered as a prophylactic treatment, compared with controls. In conclusion, our phage cocktail was demonstrated to be safe and effective against Klebsiella spp. in the G. mellonella infection model. This provides a strong case for future treatment for Klebsiella infections, either as an alternative or adjunct to antibiotics.IMPORTANCEKlebsiella infections are a concern in individuals who are immunocompromised and are becoming increasingly difficult to treat with antibiotics due to their drug-resistant properties. Bacteriophage is one potential alternative therapy that could be used to tackle these infections. The present study describes the design of a non-toxic phage cocktail that improved the survival of Galleria mellonella infected with Klebsiella. This phage cocktail demonstrates potential for the safe and effective treatment of Klebsiella infections, as an adjunct or alternative to antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Kelly
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Eleanor Jameson
- School of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Gwynedd, United Kingdom
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Ali S, Aslam MA, Kanwar R, Mehmood Z, Arshad MI, Hussain S. Phage-antibiotic synergism against Salmonella typhi isolated from stool samples of typhoid patients. Ir J Med Sci 2024; 193:1377-1384. [PMID: 38158479 DOI: 10.1007/s11845-023-03599-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Typhoid fever is a fatal disease in humans that is caused by Salmonella typhi. S. typhi infections need immediate antibiotic therapy, and their extensive use has led to multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens. The use of bacteriophages is becoming a new way to treat these resistant bacteria. This research was directed to bacteriophage isolation against S. typhi and to determine phage-antibiotic synergism. AIMS To isolate bacteriophages targeting S. typhi, the causative agent of typhoid fever, and investigate their potential synergistic effects when combined with antibiotics. STUDY DESIGN A cross-sectional study. METHODS The Widal test was positive; twenty diarrheal stool samples were taken, and for confirmation of S. typhi, different biochemical tests were performed. The disc-diffusion technique was used to determine antimicrobial resistance, and the double agar overlay method was used for bacteriophage isolation from sewage water against S. typhi. To test antibiotic-phage synergism, the S. typhi bacteria was treated by phages together with varying antibiotic concentrations. RESULTS Eleven samples were positive for S. typhi with black colonies on SS-agar. These were catalase and MR positive with alkali butt on TSI. Clear plaques were observed after the agar overlay. Isolated phages were stable at various pH and temperature levels. Synergism was observed on agar plate. The zone was enlarged when phages were combined with bacterial lawn culture and ciprofloxacin disk. Bacterial growth inhibition had a significant p-value of 0.03 in titration plates, with the phage-ciprofloxacin combination being more effective than the phage and antibiotic alone. CONCLUSION The study highlights the synergistic effects of isolated bacteriophages with antibiotics, which are not only effective against S. typhi infection but also decrease antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saqib Ali
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Aamir Aslam
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan
| | - Rabia Kanwar
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan
| | - Zain Mehmood
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Imran Arshad
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan
| | - Sarfaraz Hussain
- School of Agricultural Engineering and Food Science, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
- Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China.
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Fungo GBN, Uy JCW, Porciuncula KLJ, Candelario CMA, Chua DPS, Gutierrez TAD, Clokie MRJ, Papa DMD. "Two Is Better Than One": The Multifactorial Nature of Phage-Antibiotic Combinatorial Treatments Against ESKAPE-Induced Infections. PHAGE (NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.) 2023; 4:55-67. [PMID: 37350995 PMCID: PMC10282822 DOI: 10.1089/phage.2023.0007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Phage-antibiotic synergy (PAS) has been extensively explored over the past decade, with the aim of developing more effective treatments against multidrug-resistant organisms. However, it remains unclear how to effectively combine these two approaches. To address this uncertainty, we assessed four main aspects of PAS interactions in this review, seeking to identify commonalities of combining treatments within and between bacterial species. We examined all literature on PAS efficacy toward ESKAPE pathogens and present an analysis of the data in papers focusing on: (1) order of treatment, (2) dose of both phage and antibiotics, (3) mechanism of action, and (4) viability of transfer from in vivo or animal model trials to clinical applications. Our analysis indicates that there is little consistency within phage-antibiotic therapy regimens, suggesting that highly individualized treatment regimens should be used. We propose a set of experimental studies to address these research gaps. We end our review with suggestions on how to improve studies on phage-antibiotic combination therapy to advance this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gale Bernice N. Fungo
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
- Bacteriophage Ecology, Aquaculture, Therapy and Systematics (BEATS) Research Group, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
- Research Center for Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
| | - John Christian W. Uy
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
- Bacteriophage Ecology, Aquaculture, Therapy and Systematics (BEATS) Research Group, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
- Research Center for Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
| | - Kristiana Louise J. Porciuncula
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
- Bacteriophage Ecology, Aquaculture, Therapy and Systematics (BEATS) Research Group, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
- Research Center for Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
| | - Chiarah Mae A. Candelario
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
- Bacteriophage Ecology, Aquaculture, Therapy and Systematics (BEATS) Research Group, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
- Research Center for Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
| | - Deneb Philip S. Chua
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
- Bacteriophage Ecology, Aquaculture, Therapy and Systematics (BEATS) Research Group, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
- Research Center for Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
| | - Tracey Antaeus D. Gutierrez
- Bacteriophage Ecology, Aquaculture, Therapy and Systematics (BEATS) Research Group, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
- Research Center for Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
| | | | - Donna May D. Papa
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
- Bacteriophage Ecology, Aquaculture, Therapy and Systematics (BEATS) Research Group, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
- Research Center for Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
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Ragupathi NKD, Muthuirulandi Sethuvel DP, Gopikrishnan M, Dwarakanathan HT, Murugan D, Biswas I, Bakthavachalam YD, Murugesan M, George Priya Doss C, Monk PN, Karunakaran E, Veeraraghavan B. Phage-based therapy against biofilm producers in gram-negative ESKAPE pathogens. Microb Pathog 2023; 178:106064. [PMID: 36898591 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2023.106064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Persistent antibiotic use results in the rise of antimicrobial resistance with limited or no choice for multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug resistant (XDR) bacteria. This necessitates a need for alternative therapy to effectively combat clinical pathogens that are resistant to last resort antibiotics. The study investigates hospital sewage as a potential source of bacteriophages to control resistant bacterial pathogens. Eighty-one samples were screened for phages against selected clinical pathogens. Totally, 10 phages were isolated against A. baumannii, 5 phages against K. pneumoniae, and 16 phages were obtained against P. aeruginosa. The novel phages were observed to be strain-specific with complete bacterial growth inhibition of up to 6 h as monotherapy without antibiotics. Phage plus colistin combinations reduced the minimum-biofilm eradication concentration of colistin up to 16 folds. Notably, a cocktail of phages exhibited maximum efficacy with complete killing at 0.5-1 μg/ml colistin concentrations. Thus, phages specific to clinical strains have a higher edge in treating nosocomial pathogens with their proven anti-biofilm efficacy. In addition, analysis of phage genomes revealed close phylogenetic relations with phages reported from Europe, China, and other neighbouring countries. This study serves as a reference and can be extended to other antibiotics and phage types to assess optimum synergistic combinations to combat various drug resistant pathogens in the ongoing AMR crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naveen Kumar Devanga Ragupathi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom; Department of Clinical Microbiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; Biofilms and Antimicrobial Resistance Consortium of ODA Receiving Countries (BARCOD), The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom; Sheffield Collaboratorium for Antimicrobial Resistance and Biofilms (SCARAB), The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Dhiviya Prabaa Muthuirulandi Sethuvel
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; Biofilms and Antimicrobial Resistance Consortium of ODA Receiving Countries (BARCOD), The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Mohanraj Gopikrishnan
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India
| | | | - Dhivya Murugan
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
| | - Indranil Biswas
- Microbiology Department, Molecular Genetics and Immunology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States
| | | | - Malathi Murugesan
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
| | - C George Priya Doss
- School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India
| | - Peter N Monk
- Biofilms and Antimicrobial Resistance Consortium of ODA Receiving Countries (BARCOD), The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom; Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Esther Karunakaran
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom; Biofilms and Antimicrobial Resistance Consortium of ODA Receiving Countries (BARCOD), The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom; Sheffield Collaboratorium for Antimicrobial Resistance and Biofilms (SCARAB), The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Balaji Veeraraghavan
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; Biofilms and Antimicrobial Resistance Consortium of ODA Receiving Countries (BARCOD), The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.
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Occurrence of Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae in Clinical Settings and Lytic Potential of Bacteriophages Against the Isolates. Jundishapur J Microbiol 2022. [DOI: 10.5812/jjm.120027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Antibiotic resistance is a major health hazard around the globe. Hypervirulent Klebsiella Pneumoniae (hvKp) is associated with hospital-acquired and community-acquired infections. Since there is a lack of new antibiotics against multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens, phage therapy might provide an alternative approach to confer antibiotic resistance. Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the occurrence of hvKp and characterize the bacteriophage against the hvKp prevalence in clinical settings, which might be used as an alternative to antibiotics. Methods: Different clinical samples (n = 50) were collected to isolate K. pneumoniae, and the assessment of multidrug resistance was carried out based on the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines (2020). The bacteriophage was isolated from hospital waste, and the double agar overlay method was used for phage purification and propagation. Spot test and one-step curve were performed to determine host-phage interactions. For the evaluation of phage stability in environmental conditions, the phage was incubated at various ranges of temperature, pH, and chloroform. Results: Out of the collected samples, 22 (44%) isolates were confirmed as K. pneumoniae. Among confirmed K. pneumoniae isolates, a total of 11 (50%) isolates were detected as hvKp. Moreover, 14 (64%) isolates were detected as MDR, out of which 5 (35%) isolates were among hvKp phenotypes. Maximum resistance was observed against ampicillin (86%) followed by ceftriaxone (81%) which was the highest among cephalosporins. The isolated bacteriophage showed a broad host range, short latent period, and stability. Overall, 16 isolates (85%) of K. pneumoniae were susceptible to phage infection, among which 12 isolates were MDR (75%); however, all 5 (100%) hvKp isolates were susceptible to phage infection. One-step growth analysis revealed a burst size of 190 phages/host bacterial cells with a short latent period of 24 minutes. Conclusions: Altogether, the significant prevalence of hvKp was estimated in clinical settings, and the isolated bacteriophage showed significant lytic activity as it killed all the hvKp strains. Phage therapy might be exploited and used as a potential alternative therapeutic approach against infections caused by this resistant pathogen.
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