scholarly journals A Wake-Up Call: We Need Phage Therapy Now

Viruses ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 688 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Moelling ◽  
Felix Broecker ◽  
Christian Willy
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Phage Therapy ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Western World ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Multidrug Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Serious Adverse Events ◽  
Speed Up ◽  
Legal Frameworks

The rise of multidrug-resistant bacteria has resulted in an increased interest in phage therapy, which historically preceded antibiotic treatment against bacterial infections. To date, there have been no reports of serious adverse events caused by phages. They have been successfully used to cure human diseases in Eastern Europe for many decades. More recently, clinical trials and case reports for a variety of indications have shown promising results. However, major hurdles to the introduction of phage therapy in the Western world are the regulatory and legal frameworks. Present regulations may take a decade or longer to be fulfilled. It is of urgent need to speed up the availability of phage therapy.

scholarly journals Bacteriophages: the possible solution to treat infections caused by pathogenic bacteria

2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (11) ◽  
pp. 865-879 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayman El-Shibiny ◽  
Salma El-Sahhar
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Phage Therapy ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Clinical Applications ◽  
Western World ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Vaccine Production ◽  
Bacterial Populations ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant

Since their discovery in 1915, bacteriophages have been used to treat bacterial infections in animals and humans because of their unique ability to infect their specific bacterial hosts without affecting other bacterial populations. The research carried out in this field throughout the 20th century, largely in Georgia, part of USSR and Poland, led to the establishment of phage therapy protocols. However, the discovery of penicillin and sulfonamide antibiotics in the Western World during the 1930s was a setback in the advancement of phage therapy. The misuse of antibiotics has reduced their efficacy in controlling pathogens and has led to an increase in the number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. As an alternative to antibiotics, bacteriophages have become a topic of interest with the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria, which are a threat to public health. Recent studies have indicated that bacteriophages can be used indirectly to detect pathogenic bacteria or directly as biocontrol agents. Moreover, they can be used to develop new molecules for clinical applications, vaccine production, drug design, and in the nanomedicine field via phage display.

scholarly journals Post-antibiotic era in hemodialysis? Two case reports of simultaneous colonization and bacteremia by multidrug-resistant bacteria

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna M. Vanegas ◽  
Lorena Salazar-Ospina ◽  
Gustavo A. Roncancio ◽  
Julián Builes ◽  
Judy Natalia Jiménez
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Multidrug Resistant Bacteria ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Carbapenem Resistant

ABSTRACT The emergence of resistance mechanisms not only limits the therapeutic options for common bacterial infections but also worsens the prognosis in patients who have conditions that increase the risk of bacterial infections. Thus, the effectiveness of important medical advances that seek to improve the quality of life of patients with chronic diseases is threatened. We report the simultaneous colonization and bacteremia by multidrug-resistant bacteria in two hemodialysis patients. The first patient was colonized by carbapenem- and colistin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The patient had a bacteremia by MRSA, and molecular typing methods confirmed the colonizing isolate was the same strain that caused infection. The second case is of a patient colonized by extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli and carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. During the follow-up period, the patient presented three episodes of bacteremia, one of these caused by ESBL-producing E. coli. Molecular methods confirmed colonization by the same clone of ESBL-producing E. coli at two time points, but with a different genetic pattern to the strain isolated from the blood culture. Colonization by multidrug-resistant bacteria allows not only the spread of these microorganisms, but also increases the subsequent risk of infections with limited treatments options. In addition to infection control measures, it is important to establish policies for the prudent use of antibiotics in dialysis units.

scholarly journals Genetic and Chemical Engineering of Phages for Controlling Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria

Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 202
Author(s):  
Dingming Guo ◽  
Jingchao Chen ◽  
Xueyang Zhao ◽  
Yanan Luo ◽  
Menglu Jin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Chemical Engineering ◽  
Phage Therapy ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Host Recognition ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Multidrug Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Promising Alternative ◽  
Review Reports

Along with the excessive use of antibiotics, the emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria has become a public health problem and a great challenge vis-à-vis the control and treatment of bacterial infections. As the natural predators of bacteria, phages have reattracted researchers’ attentions. Phage therapy is regarded as one of the most promising alternative strategies to fight pathogens in the post-antibiotic era. Recently, genetic and chemical engineering methods have been applied in phage modification. Among them, genetic engineering includes the expression of toxin proteins, modification of host recognition receptors, and interference of bacterial phage-resistant pathways. Chemical engineering, meanwhile, involves crosslinking phage coats with antibiotics, antimicrobial peptides, heavy metal ions, and photothermic matters. Those advances greatly expand the host range of phages and increase their bactericidal efficiency, which sheds light on the application of phage therapy in the control of multidrug-resistant pathogens. This review reports on engineered phages through genetic and chemical approaches. Further, we present the obstacles that this novel antimicrobial has incurred.

scholarly journals Bacteriophages as an Alternative Method for Control of Zoonotic and Foodborne Pathogens

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 2348
Author(s):  
Mohammed Mijbas Mohammed Alomari ◽  
Marta Dec ◽  
Renata Urban-Chmiel
Keyword(s):  
Foodborne Pathogens ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Multidrug Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Suppression Effect ◽  
Global Increase ◽  
Cellular Immune

The global increase in multidrug-resistant infections caused by various pathogens has raised concerns in human and veterinary medicine. This has renewed interest in the development of alternative methods to antibiotics, including the use of bacteriophages for controlling bacterial infections. The aim of this review is to present potential uses of bacteriophages as an alternative to antibiotics in the control of bacterial infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria posing a risk to humans, with particular emphasis on foodborne and zoonotic pathogens. A varied therapeutic and immunomodulatory (activation or suppression) effect of bacteriophages on humoral and cellular immune response mechanisms has been demonstrated. The antibiotic resistance crisis caused by global antimicrobial resistance among bacteria creates a compelling need for alternative safe and selectively effective antibacterial agents. Bacteriophages have many properties indicating their potential suitability as therapeutic and/or prophylactic agents. In many cases, bacteriophages can also be used in food quality control against microorganisms such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Listeria, Campylobacter and others. Future research will provide potential alternative solutions using bacteriophages to treat infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria.

scholarly journals Eficácia da fagoterapia para o tratamento de infecções por bactérias multirresistentes e suas aplicações / Efficacy of phage therapy for the treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria and its applications

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 10728-10744
Author(s):  
Gabriel Monici Vieira ◽  
Débora Oliveira Piva ◽  
Rafaela Lucas Damasceno ◽  
Ricardo de Villa Nova Japiassu ◽  
Anamaria Camargo Macedo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phage Therapy ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Multidrug Resistant Bacteria

scholarly journals Bacteriocins, Antimicrobial Peptides from Bacterial Origin: Overview of Their Biology and Their Impact against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexis Simons ◽  
Kamel Alhanout ◽  
Raphaël E. Duval
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Multidrug Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Gram Positive Bacteria ◽  
Further Development

Currently, the emergence and ongoing dissemination of antimicrobial resistance among bacteria are critical health and economic issue, leading to increased rates of morbidity and mortality related to bacterial infections. Research and development for new antimicrobial agents is currently needed to overcome this problem. Among the different approaches studied, bacteriocins seem to be a promising possibility. These molecules are peptides naturally synthesized by ribosomes, produced by both Gram-positive bacteria (GPB) and Gram-negative bacteria (GNB), which will allow these bacteriocin producers to survive in highly competitive polymicrobial environment. Bacteriocins exhibit antimicrobial activity with variable spectrum depending on the peptide, which may target several bacteria. Already used in some areas such as agro-food, bacteriocins may be considered as interesting candidates for further development as antimicrobial agents used in health contexts, particularly considering the issue of antimicrobial resistance. The aim of this review is to present an updated global report on the biology of bacteriocins produced by GPB and GNB, as well as their antibacterial activity against relevant bacterial pathogens, and especially against multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Hepatoprotective Angelica sinensis silver nanoformulation against multidrug resistant bacteria and the integration of a multicomponent logic gate system

Nanoscale ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (37) ◽  
pp. 19149-19158
Author(s):  
Jouharsha Afthab ◽  
Nafeesa Khatoon ◽  
Lulu Zhou ◽  
Tianming Yao ◽  
Shuo Shi
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Logic Gate ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Angelica Sinensis ◽  
Multidrug Resistant Bacteria ◽  
System P ◽  
Gate System

A silver nanoformulation for combating bacterial infections and its integration in Boolean analysis for the detection of multiple bacteria has been developed.

scholarly journals Biogenic Nanosilver against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria (MDRB)

Antibiotics ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caio Barros ◽  
Stephanie Fulaz ◽  
Danijela Stanisic ◽  
Ljubica Tasic
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Silver Nanoparticles ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Multidrug Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Care Systems

Multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDRB) are extremely dangerous and bring a serious threat to health care systems as they can survive an attack from almost any drug. The bacteria’s adaptive way of living with the use of antimicrobials and antibiotics caused them to modify and prevail in hostile conditions by creating resistance to known antibiotics or their combinations. The emergence of nanomaterials as new antimicrobials introduces a new paradigm for antibiotic use in various fields. For example, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are the oldest nanomaterial used for bactericide and bacteriostatic purposes. However, for just a few decades these have been produced in a biogenic or bio-based fashion. This review brings the latest reports on biogenic AgNPs in the combat against MDRB. Some antimicrobial mechanisms and possible silver resistance traits acquired by bacteria are also presented. Hopefully, novel AgNPs-containing products might be designed against MDR bacterial infections.

scholarly journals Immunotherapy and vaccination against infectious diseases

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meinolf Ebbers ◽  
Christoph J. Hemmer ◽  
Brigitte Müller-Hilke ◽  
Emil C. Reisinger
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Therapeutic Antibodies ◽  
Immunomodulatory Drugs ◽  
Multidrug Resistant Bacteria ◽  
New Treatment

SummaryDue to the overuse of antibiotics, infections, in particular those caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria, are becoming more and more frequent. Despite the worldwide introduction of antibiotic therapy, vaccines and constant improvements in hygiene, the burden of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections is increasing and is expected to rise in the future. The development of monoclonal therapeutic antibodies and specific immunomodulatory drugs represent new treatment options in the fight against infectious diseases. This article provides a brief overview of recent advances in immunomodulatory therapy and other strategies in the treatment of infectious disease.

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