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A Mouse Model for the Transition of Streptococcus pneumoniae from Colonizer to Pathogen upon Viral Co-Infection Recapitulates Age-Exacerbated Illness
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Potential for bacteriophage therapy for Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia with influenza A coinfection

Peter G Speck1, Morgyn S Warner2,3,4, Shailesh Bihari5,6

  • 1Flinders University of South Australia, College of Science and Engineering, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia.

Future Microbiology
|February 4, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Antimicrobial resistance and evolving influenza A pose pandemic risks. Bacteriophage therapy offers a promising alternative to antibiotics for treating bacterial coinfections like Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Antimicrobial Resistance

Background:

  • Influenza A virus evolution and rising antimicrobial resistance threaten pandemic preparedness.
  • Bacterial coinfections, such as Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia, significantly contributed to mortality during the 1918 influenza pandemic.
  • Staphylococcus aureus exhibits resistance to numerous antibiotics, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore bacteriophage therapy (BT) as an alternative antimicrobial approach for influenza and Staphylococcus aureus coinfections.
  • To review potential delivery routes and recent successes of BT in pulmonary infections.
  • To assess the efficacy of phage lysins in preclinical models for bacterial pneumonia.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of bacteriophage therapy applications.
  • Analysis of bacteriophage delivery routes (inhalation, intravenous injection).
  • Examination of phage lysin efficacy in animal pneumonia models.

Main Results:

  • Bacteriophage therapy has shown recent success in compassionate use cases for pulmonary infections.
  • Phage lysins are bactericidal and effective in animal models of pneumonia.
  • The study highlights the need for clinical trials to validate BT for influenza and S. aureus coinfection.

Conclusions:

  • Bacteriophage therapy presents a viable alternative to conventional antibiotics against drug-resistant bacteria.
  • Further clinical investigation is crucial to establish the therapeutic potential of BT in managing severe respiratory coinfections.
  • Addressing coinfections is critical for mitigating morbidity and mortality in future influenza pandemics.
Keywords:
Staphylococcus aureusbacteriophagesdrug resistanceinfluenzamicrobialpneumoniasecondary infection

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