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Phage Therapy Application to Counteract Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection in Cystic Fibrosis Zebrafish Embryos
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Phage Therapy Experience at the Eliava Phage Therapy Center: Three Cases of Bacterial Persistence

Elisabed Zaldastanishvili1, Lika Leshkasheli1, Mariam Dadiani2

  • 1Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Eliava Institute of Bacteriophages, Microbiology and Virology, 0160 Tbilisi, Georgia.

Viruses
|October 26, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria. This study examines how bacteria like Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae adapt to phage therapy, leading to treatment persistence.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Bacteriophage Therapy

Background:

  • Phage therapy is an alternative treatment for bacterial infections.
  • Understanding bacterial resistance mechanisms is crucial for effective phage therapy.
  • This study investigates bacterial adaptation during phage therapy.

Observation:

  • Three patients with chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa (two) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (one) infections were treated with phage therapy.
  • Pathogens persisted in these patients despite phage treatment.
  • Bacterial strains were analyzed before and after phage therapy using Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE).

Findings:

  • Two distinct bacterial adaptation strategies to phage therapy were observed.
  • One patient's bacteria showed unchanged PFGE profiles but altered phage susceptibility.
  • Two patients' bacteria exhibited strain diversification with altered PFGE profiles and phage resistance.

Implications:

  • Bacterial adaptation can lead to phage therapy failure.
  • Identifying resistance mechanisms is key to optimizing phage therapy protocols.
  • Further research into phage resistance is needed to enhance treatment efficacy.
Keywords:
Klebsiella pneumoniaePseudomonas aeruginosaphage therapy

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