Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Romy Skusa, Justus Gross, Juliane Kohlen, Clemens Schafmayer, Katharina Ekat, Andreas Podbielski, Philipp Warnke
Summary: Application of bacteriophages in clinical therapies is attractive due to increasing rates of isolation of multidrug-resistant bacteria worldwide. As the phage effect is highly specific, prior susceptibility testing of target bacteria is mandatory.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Su Jin Jo, Jun Kwon, Sang Guen Kim, Seung-Jun Lee
Summary: Bacterial infections have become a global threat, and bacteriophages are gaining attention as promising alternatives due to their distinctive attributes and genetic modification abilities. Phage engineering can enhance diagnostics, drug delivery, and therapy, and holds promise in transforming precision medicine, addressing antibiotic resistance, and advancing diverse applications.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Brieuc Van Nieuwenhuyse, Dimitri Van der Linden, Olga Chatzis, Cedric Lood, Jeroen Wagemans, Rob Lavigne, Kaat Schroven, Jan Paeshuyse, Catherine de Magnee, Etienne Sokal, Xavier Stephenne, Isabelle Scheers, Hector Rodriguez-Villalobos, Sarah Djebara, Maya Merabishvili, Patrick Soentjens, Jean-Paul Pirnay
Summary: In this study, the authors use a combination of bacteriophage and antibiotic therapy to treat extensively drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in a toddler post liver transplantation. They report on the clinical and microbiological improvement and investigate the reasons why bacterial phage resistance did not lead to therapeutic failure.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Joshua M. Borin, Sarit Avrani, Jeffrey E. Barrick, Katherine L. Petrie, Justin R. Meyer
Summary: Training bacteriophages on target hosts before therapy can prolong suppression of antibiotic-resistant bacteria by delaying the evolution of resistance. Evolution of resistance to trained phages is more costly and requires multiple mutations, making them more effective in combating resistance. Transfer of genetic information from host genomes through recombination can enhance phage fitness and improve treatment outcomes, highlighting the potential of training in phage therapy development.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Addisu D. Teklemariam, Rashad R. Al-Hindi, Ishtiaq Qadri, Mona G. Alharbi, Wafaa S. Ramadan, Jumaa Ayubu, Ahmed M. Al-Hejin, Raghad F. Hakim, Fanar F. Hakim, Rahad F. Hakim, Loojen I. Alseraihi, Turki Alamri, Steve Harakeh
Summary: Bacteria and their predator bacteriophages engage in an ongoing arms race, employing various defense strategies. The bacterial immune arsenal towards phages is diverse and utilizes different components of the host machinery. These defense mechanisms include restriction-modification, mutations, receptor blocking, competitive inhibitors, extracellular matrix, assembly interference, abortive infection, toxin-antitoxin systems, bacterial retrons, and replication interference. Phages, in turn, develop defense mechanisms with small fitness cost to counteract these bacterial strategies. This review highlights the major bacterial defense systems and phage counterstrategies, suggesting potential research directions.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Huan Peng, Daniele Rossetto, Sheref S. Mansy, Maria C. Jordan, Kenneth P. Roos, Irene A. Chen
Summary: Infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria are difficult to treat, but a study found that engineered phage-nanomaterial conjugates can effectively treat infected wounds caused by Gram-negative pathogens in mice. The treatment rapidly reduced bacterial load and promoted wound healing, outperforming standard-of-care antibiotics. The phage-nanomaterial treatment also worked against a strain resistant to last-line antibiotics, with no detectable toxicity or systemic effects.
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Maria Victoria Diaz-Galian, Miguel A. Vega-Rodriguez, Felipe Molina
Summary: Phage therapy is a strategy used to lyse bacteria that cause harm to health. This article introduces an R package called PhageCocktail that automatically designs efficient phage cocktails.
COMPUTER METHODS AND PROGRAMS IN BIOMEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Chengxi Liu, Qixuan Hong, Rachel Yoon Kyung Chang, Philip Chi Lip Kwok, Hak-Kim Chan
Summary: This review paper summarizes the progress of phage-antibiotic therapy, including the mechanisms of Phage-Antibiotic Synergy (PAS) and its therapeutic performance. The choice of phages and antibiotics, administration time and sequence, and concentrations of the two agents have different impacts on bacterial inhibitory effects.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jose Luis Villalpando-Aguilar, Gilberto Matos-Pech, Itzel Lopez-Rosas, Hugo Gildardo Castelan-Sanchez, Fulgencio Alatorre-Cobos
Summary: Phage therapy is an alternative treatment that uses bacteriophages to kill specific bacteria. It has shown positive results in improving food production in agriculture. However, finding effective bacteriophages is crucial for the success of this therapy.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Julia Lopez-Perez, Jennifer Otero, Miquel Sanchez-Osuna, Ivan Erill, Pilar Cortes, Montserrat Llagostera
Summary: This study investigates the emergence of Salmonella strains with reduced susceptibility to a cocktail of three phages in different scenarios. The results show that the mechanisms of resistance vary in different environments, but they do not significantly impair the success of Salmonella biocontrol and oral phage therapy.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Olesia I. North, Eric D. Brown
Summary: Antibiotic resistance has become dangerously high worldwide, with a lack of new antibiotics available for clinicians. Combining phages with antibiotics shows promise in suppressing and even reversing resistance evolution in bacteria, highlighting the importance of further understanding their interactions in complex clinical environments.
ANNALS OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Paul Young
Summary: Advanced therapy medicinal products have extended the treatment paradigm to gene therapy, which modifies genes for therapeutic effect. Gene therapy has strong growth potential, especially using adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) for targeted delivery. However, manufacturing challenges exist in generating high-quality and efficacious viral vectors. Learning from established processes like monoclonal antibody production and embracing innovative approaches are crucial for scalable and cost-effective solutions. Ultimately, the goal is to turn treatment into a cure.
DRUG DISCOVERY TODAY
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Paul Young
Summary: Advanced therapy medicinal products have expanded the treatment options in the pharmaceutical industry by enabling gene therapy for potentially curative approaches, primarily using adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) for targeted delivery. However, manufacturing challenges exist in ensuring high quality and efficacy of AAV-based gene therapy products. Learning from established manufacturing processes like monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) can help develop scalable and cost-effective solutions. Future innovation and collaboration with regulatory agencies are essential for further advancements in gene therapy manufacturing and achieving the ultimate goal of cure.
DRUG DISCOVERY TODAY
(2023)
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Han Shuwen, Ding Kefeng
Summary: This review presents the interactions between phages and bacteria in the human intestinal tract, as well as their roles in disease pathogenesis and treatment.
Article
Virology
Henni Tuomala, Marie Verkola, Anna Meller, Jasper Van der Auwera, Sheetal Patpatia, Asko Jarvinen, Mikael Skurnik, Annamari Heikinheimo, Saija Kiljunen
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the efficacy of phage treatment in eradicating LA-MRSA from carrier pigs, but no significant reduction in MRSA levels was observed during the experiment. This suggests that phage treatment may not reliably eliminate MRSA in carrier animals.