Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 11, 2025
03:53
Growing a Cystic Fibrosis-Relevant Polymicrobial Biofilm to Probe Community Phenotypes
Published on: April 19, 2024
749
Identifying Causative Microorganisms in Left Ventricular Assist Device Infections as a Guide for Developing
Ishan Kamat1, Harveen Lamba2, Casey Hines-Munson3
1Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas.
The Journal of Surgical Research
|November 30, 2021
Summary
Multidrug-resistant infections in left ventricular-assist device (LVAD) patients are rising. This study identified common LVAD driveline infection pathogens, paving the way for effective bacteriophage therapy development.
Area of Science:
- Medical Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Left ventricular-assist device (LVAD) infections, particularly multidrug-resistant ones, are a growing concern.
- Bacterial biofilm formation contributes significantly to the challenge of treating LVAD infections.
- Identifying common bacterial pathogens is crucial for developing targeted therapies like bacteriophage treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the predominant bacterial pathogens causing driveline infections (DLIs) in patients with left ventricular-assist devices (LVADs).
- To establish a representative bacterial strain bank for developing bacteriophage therapy against LVAD infections.
- To assess the efficacy of bacteriophages against biofilm-forming Staphylococcus aureus strains from LVAD DLIs.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of LVAD infections (2003-2017) and prospective collection of bacterial strains from DLIs (2018-2019).
- Identification and characterization of bacterial isolates from LVAD infections, including biofilm formation assays.
- Development and testing of bacteriophages for their lytic activity against isolated bacterial pathogens, specifically Staphylococcus aureus.
Main Results:
- A total of 372 microbial isolates were identified in the retrospective cohort, and 96 strains were isolated from 54 DLIs in the prospective cohort.
- Staphylococcus aureus was the most common pathogen identified in both cohorts.
- Three bacteriophages were developed, successfully lysing 5 out of 6 biofilm-forming Staphylococcus aureus strains.
Conclusions:
- The bacterial pathogens causing LVAD DLIs are consistent across retrospective and prospective patient cohorts.
- A banked collection of bacterial strains from LVAD infections is valuable for future therapeutic development.
- The developed bacteriophages show promise for creating phage cocktails to target a significant proportion of bacteria causing LVAD infections.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:30Lytic Cycle of Bacteriophages
72.9K
Bacteriophages, also known as phages, are specialized viruses that infect bacteria. A key characteristic of phages is their distinctive “head-tail” morphology. A phage begins the infection process (i.e., lytic cycle) by attaching to the outside of a bacterial cell. Attachment is accomplished via proteins in the phage tail that bind to specific receptor proteins on the outer surface of the bacterium. The tail injects the phage’s DNA genome into the bacterial cytoplasm. In the...
72.9K
01:25Endocarditis I: Introduction
57
Introduction:Endocarditis is the infection of the endocardium, the inner lining of the heart and its valves. When the heart muscle is involved, the condition is termed myocarditis, while an infection of the outer lining is called pericarditis. Infective endocarditis (IE) primarily affects the endocardium, where pathogens adhere to the valves or lining, forming vegetation that can lead to severe complications. Infective endocarditis occurs when microorganisms, usually bacteria from other body...
57
01:18Endocarditis III: Medical Management
41
Infective endocarditis management involves a multifaceted approach encompassing infection prevention, lifestyle modifications, pharmacological therapy, and surgical management.Infection Prevention:Hand Hygiene: Thorough handwashing is crucial to prevent the spread of infection. Hand hygiene should be performed regularly, especially before and after using the restroom.Oral Hygiene: Good oral hygiene is essential. It includes brushing teeth immediately after waking up and before bed, flossing...
41
00:43Lysogenic Cycle of Bacteriophages
64.0K
In contrast to the lytic cycle, phages infecting bacteria via the lysogenic cycle do not immediately kill their host cell. Instead, they combine their genome with the host genome, allowing the bacteria to replicate the phage DNA along with the bacterial genome. The incorporated copy of the phage genome is called the prophage. Some prophages can re-activate and enter the lytic cycle. This often occurs in response to a perturbation, such as DNA damage, but can also transpire in the absence of...
64.0K