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Author Spotlight: Investigating Bacteriophage-Induced Immune Responses in Gnotobiotic Mice
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Bacteriophage Therapy on an In Vitro Wound Model and Synergistic Effects in Combination with Beta-Lactam Antibiotics

Guillermo Santamaría-Corral1, John Jairo Aguilera-Correa1,2, Jaime Esteban1,2

  • 1Clinical Microbiology Department, IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.

Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
|September 28, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Bacteriophages combined with antibiotics offer a new way to fight multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This combination therapy effectively reduced bacterial biofilms in wound models, showing promise for topical treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major opportunistic pathogen causing diverse infections.
  • Multidrug resistance (MDR) in P. aeruginosa, particularly beta-lactam resistance, is a significant clinical challenge.
  • Bacterial biofilms contribute to antimicrobial therapy failure and persistent infections, especially in wounds and burns.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of combining bacteriophage F1Pa with beta-lactam antibiotics against MDR P. aeruginosa.
  • To assess the impact of this combination therapy on bacterial biofilm formation and viability.
  • To explore the potential of bacteriophage F1Pa as a topical treatment for MDR P. aeruginosa wound infections.

Main Methods:

  • In vitro testing of the combination therapy on mature biofilms of MDR P. aeruginosa strains.
  • Assessment of bacterial growth suppression in vitro.
  • Evaluation of biofilm reduction in an in vitro wound model using clinical isolates.

Main Results:

  • The combination of F1Pa bacteriophage and beta-lactam antibiotics significantly reduced the viability of mature MDR P. aeruginosa biofilms.
  • The combined treatment suppressed bacterial growth in vitro.
  • F1Pa demonstrated a critical reduction in biofilm formation by MDR P. aeruginosa in an in vitro wound model.

Conclusions:

  • Bacteriophage F1Pa combined with beta-lactam antibiotics is a promising therapeutic strategy against MDR P. aeruginosa.
  • This combination therapy enhances antibiofilm activity and reduces bacterial load.
  • F1Pa shows potential as a prophylactic topical treatment for MDR P. aeruginosa infections in wounds and burns.
Keywords:
Pseudomonas aeruginosabacteriophagebeta-lactammulti-drug resistancewound infection

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