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Adjunct phage treatment enhances the effectiveness of low antibiotic concentration against Staphylococcus aureus

James Dickey1, Véronique Perrot1

  • 1Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America.

Plos One
|January 17, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Phage therapy combined with antibiotics shows promise for treating stubborn bacterial biofilms. Combining phages and antibiotics significantly enhanced treatment efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus biofilms, especially at lower antibiotic concentrations.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health concern.
  • Bacterial biofilms are difficult to treat with conventional antibiotics.
  • Phage therapy offers a potential alternative or adjunct treatment strategy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of phage therapy in combination with antibiotics against Staphylococcus aureus biofilms.
  • To quantify the synergistic effects of phage and antibiotic treatments.
  • To determine optimal treatment strategies for combating antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.

Main Methods:

  • In vitro biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus were treated with phage alone, antibiotics alone, or phage-antibiotic combinations.
  • Treatments included simultaneous application or phage pretreatment before antibiotic administration.
  • Antibiotic concentrations tested were 2×MIC and 10×MIC.

Main Results:

  • Phage-antibiotic combinations significantly improved efficacy at low antibiotic concentrations (2×MIC).
  • High antibiotic concentrations (10×MIC) were effective alone, with limited additional benefit from phage.
  • Combination therapy with phage and rifampin effectively reduced the outgrowth of resistant strains.

Conclusions:

  • Phage therapy can enhance the efficacy of conventional antibiotics against Staphylococcus aureus biofilms.
  • Combined phage-antibiotic treatment is a promising strategy for overcoming antibiotic resistance.
  • Further clinical trials are warranted to explore the therapeutic potential of phage-antibiotic combinations.

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