1
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Faltus T. The Medicinal Phage-Regulatory Roadmap for Phage Therapy under EU Pharmaceutical Legislation. Viruses 2024; 16:443. [PMID: 38543808 PMCID: PMC10974108 DOI: 10.3390/v16030443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophage therapy is a promising approach to treating bacterial infections. Research and development of bacteriophage therapy is intensifying due to the increase in antibiotic resistance and the faltering development of new antibiotics. Bacteriophage therapy uses bacteriophages (phages), i.e., prokaryotic viruses, to specifically target and kill pathogenic bacteria. The legal handling of this type of therapy raises several questions. These include whether phage therapeutics belong to a specially regulated class of medicinal products, and which legal framework should be followed with regard to the various technical ways in which phage therapeutics can be manufactured and administered. The article shows to which class of medicinal products phage therapeutics from wild type phages and from genetically modified (designer) phages do or do not belong. Furthermore, the article explains which legal framework is relevant for the manufacture and administration of phage therapeutics, which are manufactured in advance in a uniform, patient-independent manner, and for tailor-made patient-specific phage therapeutics. For the systematically coherent, successful translation of phage therapy, the article considers pharmaceutical law and related legal areas, such as genetic engineering law. Finally, the article shows how the planned legislative revisions of Directive 2001/83/EC and Regulation (EC) No 726/2004 may affect the legal future of phage therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timo Faltus
- Chair of Public Law, Law School, Faculty of Law, Economics and Business, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, 06099 Halle an der Saale, Germany
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2
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da Silva JD, Bens L, Santos AJDC, Lavigne R, Soares J, Melo LDR, Vallino M, Dias RS, Drulis-Kawa Z, de Paula SO, Wagemans J. Isolation and Characterization of the Acadevirus Members BigMira and MidiMira Infecting a Highly Pathogenic Proteus mirabilis Strain. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2141. [PMID: 37763984 PMCID: PMC10537623 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11092141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteus mirabilis is an opportunistic pathogen and is responsible for more than 40% of all cases of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). Healthcare-associated infections have been aggravated by the constant emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. Because of this, the use of phages to combat bacterial infections gained renewed interest. In this study, we describe the biological and genomic features of two P. mirabilis phages, named BigMira and MidiMira. These phages belong to the Acadevirus genus (family Autographiviridae). BigMira and MidiMira are highly similar, differing only in four missense mutations in their phage tail fiber. These mutations are sufficient to impact the phages' depolymerase activity. Subsequently, the comparative genomic analysis of ten clinical P. mirabilis strains revealed differences in their antibiotic resistance profiles and lipopolysaccharide locus, with the latter potentially explaining the host range data of the phages. The massive presence of antimicrobial resistance genes, especially in the phages' isolation strain P. mirabilis MCS, highlights the challenges in treating infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria. The findings reinforce BigMira and MidiMira phages as candidates for phage therapy purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jéssica Duarte da Silva
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunovirology, Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil; (J.D.d.S.); (A.J.d.C.S.); (J.S.); (S.O.d.P.)
| | - Lene Bens
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, Division of Animal and Human Health Engineering, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (L.B.); (R.L.)
| | - Adriele J. do Carmo Santos
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunovirology, Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil; (J.D.d.S.); (A.J.d.C.S.); (J.S.); (S.O.d.P.)
| | - Rob Lavigne
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, Division of Animal and Human Health Engineering, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (L.B.); (R.L.)
| | - José Soares
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunovirology, Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil; (J.D.d.S.); (A.J.d.C.S.); (J.S.); (S.O.d.P.)
| | - Luís D. R. Melo
- Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal;
- LABBELS—Associate Laboratory, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Marta Vallino
- Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council of Italy, 10135 Torino, Italy;
| | - Roberto Sousa Dias
- Department of General Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil;
| | - Zuzanna Drulis-Kawa
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, University of Wroclaw, 50-335 Wroclaw, Poland;
| | - Sérgio Oliveira de Paula
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunovirology, Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil; (J.D.d.S.); (A.J.d.C.S.); (J.S.); (S.O.d.P.)
- Department of General Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil;
| | - Jeroen Wagemans
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, Division of Animal and Human Health Engineering, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (L.B.); (R.L.)
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3
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Vázquez R, Briers Y. What's in a Name? An Overview of the Proliferating Nomenclature in the Field of Phage Lysins. Cells 2023; 12:2016. [PMID: 37566095 PMCID: PMC10417350 DOI: 10.3390/cells12152016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last few years, the volume of research produced on phage lysins has grown spectacularly due to the interest in using them as alternative antimicrobials. As a result, a plethora of naming customs has sprouted among the different research groups devoted to them. While the naming diversity accounts for the vitality of the topic, on too many occasions it also creates some confusion and lack of comparability between different works. This article aims at clarifying the ambiguities found among names referring to phage lysins. We do so by tackling the naming customs historically, framing their original adoption, and employing a semantic classification to facilitate their discussion. We propose a periodization of phage lysin research that begins at the discovery era, in the early 20th century, enriches with a strong molecular biology period, and grows into a current time of markedly applied research. During these different periods, names referring to the general concepts surrounding lysins have been created and adopted, as well as other more specific terms related to their structure and function or, finally, names that have been coined for the antimicrobial application and engineering of phage lysins. Thus, this article means to serve as an invitation to the global lysin community to take action and discuss a widely supported, standardized nomenclature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Vázquez
- Laboratory of Applied Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Yves Briers
- Laboratory of Applied Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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4
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Ali Y, Inusa I, Sanghvi G, Mandaliya V, Bishoyi AK. The current status of phage therapy and its advancement towards establishing standard antimicrobials for combating multi drug-resistant bacterial pathogens. Microb Pathog 2023:106199. [PMID: 37336428 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2023.106199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Phage therapy; a revived antimicrobial weapon, has great therapeutic advantages with the main ones being its ability to eradicate multidrug-resistant pathogens as well as selective toxicity, which ensures that beneficial microbiota is not harmed, unlike antibiotics. These therapeutic properties make phage therapy a novel approach for combating resistant pathogens. Since millions of people across the globe succumb to multidrug-resistant infections, the implementation of phage therapy as a standard antimicrobial could transform global medicine as it offers greater therapeutic advantages than conventional antibiotics. Although phage therapy has incomplete clinical data, such as a lack of standard dosage and the ideal mode of administration, the conducted clinical studies report its safety and efficacy in some case studies, and therefore, this could lessen the concerns of its skeptics. Since its discovery, the development of phage therapeutics has been in a smooth progression. Concerns about phage resistance in populations of pathogenic bacteria are raised when bacteria are exposed to phages. Bacteria can use restriction-modification, Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) defense, or mutations in the phage receptors to prevent phage invasion. Phage resistance, however, is often costly for the bacteria and may lead to a reduction in its virulence. The ongoing competition between bacteria and phage, on the other hand, ensures the emergence of phage strains that have evolved to infect resistant bacteria. A phage can quickly adapt by altering one or more aspects of its mode of infection, evading a resistance mechanism through genetic modifications, or directly thwarting the CRISPR-Cas defense. Using phage-bacterium coevolution as a technique could be crucial in the development of phage therapy as well. Through its recent advancement, gene-editing tools such as CRISPR-Cas allow the bioengineering of phages to produce phage cocktails that have broad spectrum activities, which could maximize the treatment's efficacy. This review presents the current state of phage therapy and its progression toward establishing standard medicine for combating antibiotic resistance. Recent clinical trials of phage therapy, some important case studies, and other ongoing clinical studies of phage therapy are all presented in this review. Furthermore, the recent advancement in the development of phage therapeutics, its application in various sectors, and concerns regarding its implementation are also highlighted here. Phage therapy has great potential and could help the fight against drug-resistant bacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yussuf Ali
- Department of Microbiology, Marwadi University, Gujarat, India
| | - Ibrahim Inusa
- Department of Information Technology, Marwadi University, Gujarat, India
| | - Gaurav Sanghvi
- Department of Microbiology, Marwadi University, Gujarat, India
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5
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Burmeister AR, Tzintzun-Tapia E, Roush C, Mangal I, Barahman R, Bjornson RD, Turner PE. Experimental Evolution of the TolC-Receptor Phage U136B Functionally Identifies a Tail Fiber Protein Involved in Adsorption through Strong Parallel Adaptation. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023:e0007923. [PMID: 37191555 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00079-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages have received recent attention for their therapeutic potential to treat antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. One particular idea in phage therapy is to use phages that not only directly kill their bacterial hosts but also rely on particular bacterial receptors, such as proteins involved in virulence or antibiotic resistance. In such cases, the evolution of phage resistance would correspond to the loss of those receptors, an approach termed evolutionary steering. We previously found that during experimental evolution, phage U136B can exert selection pressure on Escherichia coli to lose or modify its receptor, the antibiotic efflux protein TolC, often resulting in reduced antibiotic resistance. However, for TolC-reliant phages like U136B to be used therapeutically, we also need to study their own evolutionary potential. Understanding phage evolution is critical for the development of improved phage therapies as well as the tracking of phage populations during infection. Here, we characterized phage U136B evolution in 10 replicate experimental populations. We quantified phage dynamics that resulted in five surviving phage populations at the end of the 10-day experiment. We found that phages from all five surviving populations had evolved higher rates of adsorption on either ancestral or coevolved E. coli hosts. Using whole-genome and whole-population sequencing, we established that these higher rates of adsorption were associated with parallel molecular evolution in phage tail protein genes. These findings will be useful in future studies to predict how key phage genotypes and phenotypes influence phage efficacy and survival despite the evolution of host resistance. IMPORTANCE Antibiotic resistance is a persistent problem in health care and a factor that may help maintain bacterial diversity in natural environments. Bacteriophages ("phages") are viruses that specifically infect bacteria. We previously discovered and characterized a phage called U136B, which infects bacteria through TolC. TolC is an antibiotic resistance protein that helps bacteria pump antibiotics out of the cell. Over short timescales, phage U136B can be used to evolutionarily "steer" bacterial populations to lose or modify the TolC protein, sometimes reducing antibiotic resistance. In this study, we investigate whether U136B itself evolves to better infect bacterial cells. We discovered that the phage can readily evolve specific mutations that increase its infection rate. This work will be useful for understanding how phages can be used to treat bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alita R Burmeister
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Eddy Tzintzun-Tapia
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Carli Roush
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Ivan Mangal
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Roxanna Barahman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | | | - Paul E Turner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Microbiology Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Center for Phage Biology and Therapy, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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6
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Quirós P, Sala-Comorera L, Gómez-Gómez C, Ramos-Barbero MD, Rodríguez-Rubio L, Vique G, Yance-Chávez T, Atarés S, García-Gutierrez S, García-Marco S, Vallejo A, Salaet I, Muniesa M. Identification of a virulent phage infecting species of Nitrosomonas. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023; 17:645-648. [PMID: 36759553 PMCID: PMC10119301 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01380-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
In the first and limiting step of nitrification, ammonia (NH3) is oxidised to nitrite (NO2-) by the action of some prokaryotes, including bacteria of the Nitrosomonas genus. A potential approach to nitrification inhibition would be through the application of phages, but until now this method has been unexplored and no virulent phages that infect nitrifying bacteria have been described. In this study, we report the isolation of the first phage infecting some Nitrosomonas species. This polyvalent virulent phage (named ΦNF-1) infected Nitrosomonas europaea, Nitrosomonas communis, and Nitrosomonas nitrosa. Phage ΦNF-1 has the morphology of the Podoviridae family, a dsDNA genome of 41,596 bp and a 45.1 % GC content, with 50 predicted open reading frames. Phage ΦNF-1 was found to inhibit bacterial growth and reduce NH4+ consumption in the phage-treated cultures. The application of phages as biocontrol agents could be a useful strategy for nitrification inhibition without the restrictions associated with chemical inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Quirós
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Diagonal 643, Annex, Floor 0, E-08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Departamento de I+D+i de Fertinagro Biotech S.L, Poligono Industrial La Paz, Teruel, Spain
| | - Laura Sala-Comorera
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Diagonal 643, Annex, Floor 0, E-08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Clara Gómez-Gómez
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Diagonal 643, Annex, Floor 0, E-08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Dolores Ramos-Barbero
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Diagonal 643, Annex, Floor 0, E-08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Departmento de Fisiologia, Genética y Microbiología, Universidad de Alicante (UA), 03080, Alicante, Spain
| | - Lorena Rodríguez-Rubio
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Diagonal 643, Annex, Floor 0, E-08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gloria Vique
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Diagonal 643, Annex, Floor 0, E-08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tula Yance-Chávez
- Departamento de I+D+i de Fertinagro Biotech S.L, Poligono Industrial La Paz, Teruel, Spain
| | - Sergio Atarés
- Departamento de I+D+i de Fertinagro Biotech S.L, Poligono Industrial La Paz, Teruel, Spain
| | - Sandra García-Gutierrez
- Departamento de Química y Tecnología de Alimentos, ETSI Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Estudios e Investigación para la Gestión de Riesgos Agrarios y Medioambientales (CEIGRAM), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sonia García-Marco
- Departamento de Química y Tecnología de Alimentos, ETSI Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Estudios e Investigación para la Gestión de Riesgos Agrarios y Medioambientales (CEIGRAM), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Vallejo
- Departamento de Química y Tecnología de Alimentos, ETSI Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Estudios e Investigación para la Gestión de Riesgos Agrarios y Medioambientales (CEIGRAM), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignasi Salaet
- Departamento de I+D+i de Fertinagro Biotech S.L, Poligono Industrial La Paz, Teruel, Spain
| | - Maite Muniesa
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Diagonal 643, Annex, Floor 0, E-08028, Barcelona, Spain.
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7
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Wang Y, Xuan G, Lin H, Fei Z, Wang J. Phage resistance of Salmonella enterica obtained by transposon Tn5-mediated SefR gene silent mutation. J Basic Microbiol 2023; 63:530-541. [PMID: 37032321 DOI: 10.1002/jobm.202200532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
Salmonella enterica contamination is a primary cause of global food poisoning. Using phages as bactericidal alternatives to antibiotics could confront the issue of drug resistance. However, the problem of phage resistance, especially mutant strains with multiple phage resistance, is a critical barrier to the practical application of phages. In this study, a library of EZ-Tn5 transposable mutants of susceptible host S. enterica B3-6 was constructed. After the infestation pressure of a broad-spectrum phage TP1, a mutant strain with resistance to eight phages was obtained. Analysis of the genome resequencing results revealed that the SefR gene was disrupted in the mutant strain. The mutant strain displayed a reduced adsorption rate of 42% and a significant decrease in swimming and swarming motility, as well as a significantly reduced expression of the flagellar-related FliL and FliO genes to 17% and 36%, respectively. An uninterrupted form of the SefR gene was cloned into vector pET-21a (+) and used for complementation of the mutant strain. The complemented mutant exhibited similar adsorption and motility as the wild-type control. These results suggest that the disrupted flagellar-mediated SefR gene causes an adsorption inhibition, which is responsible for the phage-resistant phenotype of the S. enterica transposition mutant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinfeng Wang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Guanhua Xuan
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Hong Lin
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Zhenhong Fei
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Jingxue Wang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
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8
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Vázquez R, Rivero-Buceta V, del Campo R, Poblete-Castro I, Herencias C. Editorial: Advanced technologies in bioengineering to fight antimicrobial resistance. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1182463. [PMID: 37051273 PMCID: PMC10083505 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1182463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- R. Vázquez
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- *Correspondence: R. Vázquez, ; C. Herencias,
| | - V. Rivero-Buceta
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Madrid, Spain
| | - R. del Campo
- Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas-CIBERINFEC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - I. Poblete-Castro
- Biosystems Engineering Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile
| | - C. Herencias
- Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal and Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas-CIBERINFEC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- *Correspondence: R. Vázquez, ; C. Herencias,
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9
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Natural Killers: Opportunities and Challenges for the Use of Bacteriophages in Microbial Food Safety from the One Health Perspective. Foods 2023; 12:foods12030552. [PMID: 36766081 PMCID: PMC9914193 DOI: 10.3390/foods12030552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Ingestion of food or water contaminated with pathogenic bacteria may cause serious diseases. The One Health approach may help to ensure food safety by anticipating, preventing, detecting, and controlling diseases that spread between animals, humans, and the environment. This concept pays special attention to the increasing spread and dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which are considered one of the most important environment-related human and animal health hazards. In this context, the development of innovative, versatile, and effective alternatives to control bacterial infections in order to assure comprehensive food microbial safety is becoming an urgent issue. Bacteriophages (phages), viruses of bacteria, have gained significance in the last years due to the request for new effective antimicrobials for the treatment of bacterial diseases, along with many other applications, including biotechnology and food safety. This manuscript reviews the application of phages in order to prevent food- and water-borne diseases from a One Health perspective. Regarding the necessary decrease in the use of antibiotics, results taken from the literature indicate that phages are also promising tools to help to address this issue. To assist future phage-based real applications, the pending issues and main challenges to be addressed shortly by future studies are also taken into account.
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10
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Walesch S, Birkelbach J, Jézéquel G, Haeckl FPJ, Hegemann JD, Hesterkamp T, Hirsch AKH, Hammann P, Müller R. Fighting antibiotic resistance-strategies and (pre)clinical developments to find new antibacterials. EMBO Rep 2022; 24:e56033. [PMID: 36533629 PMCID: PMC9827564 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202256033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibacterial resistance is one of the greatest threats to human health. The development of new therapeutics against bacterial pathogens has slowed drastically since the approvals of the first antibiotics in the early and mid-20th century. Most of the currently investigated drug leads are modifications of approved antibacterials, many of which are derived from natural products. In this review, we highlight the challenges, advancements and current standing of the clinical and preclinical antibacterial research pipeline. Additionally, we present novel strategies for rejuvenating the discovery process and advocate for renewed and enthusiastic investment in the antibacterial discovery pipeline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Walesch
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS)SaarbrückenGermany,Department of PharmacySaarland UniversitySaarbrückenGermany,Helmholtz Centre for Infection research (HZI)BraunschweigGermany,German Center for infection research (DZIF)BraunschweigGermany
| | - Joy Birkelbach
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS)SaarbrückenGermany,Department of PharmacySaarland UniversitySaarbrückenGermany,Helmholtz Centre for Infection research (HZI)BraunschweigGermany,German Center for infection research (DZIF)BraunschweigGermany
| | - Gwenaëlle Jézéquel
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS)SaarbrückenGermany,Helmholtz Centre for Infection research (HZI)BraunschweigGermany
| | - F P Jake Haeckl
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS)SaarbrückenGermany,Department of PharmacySaarland UniversitySaarbrückenGermany,Helmholtz Centre for Infection research (HZI)BraunschweigGermany,German Center for infection research (DZIF)BraunschweigGermany
| | - Julian D Hegemann
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS)SaarbrückenGermany,Department of PharmacySaarland UniversitySaarbrückenGermany,Helmholtz Centre for Infection research (HZI)BraunschweigGermany,German Center for infection research (DZIF)BraunschweigGermany
| | - Thomas Hesterkamp
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection research (HZI)BraunschweigGermany,German Center for infection research (DZIF)BraunschweigGermany
| | - Anna K H Hirsch
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS)SaarbrückenGermany,Department of PharmacySaarland UniversitySaarbrückenGermany,Helmholtz Centre for Infection research (HZI)BraunschweigGermany,German Center for infection research (DZIF)BraunschweigGermany,Helmholtz International Lab for Anti‐InfectivesSaarbrückenGermany
| | - Peter Hammann
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS)SaarbrückenGermany,Department of PharmacySaarland UniversitySaarbrückenGermany,Helmholtz Centre for Infection research (HZI)BraunschweigGermany,German Center for infection research (DZIF)BraunschweigGermany
| | - Rolf Müller
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS)SaarbrückenGermany,Department of PharmacySaarland UniversitySaarbrückenGermany,Helmholtz Centre for Infection research (HZI)BraunschweigGermany,German Center for infection research (DZIF)BraunschweigGermany,Helmholtz International Lab for Anti‐InfectivesSaarbrückenGermany
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Abril AG, Carrera M, Notario V, Sánchez-Pérez Á, Villa TG. The Use of Bacteriophages in Biotechnology and Recent Insights into Proteomics. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:653. [PMID: 35625297 PMCID: PMC9137636 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11050653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Phages have certain features, such as their ability to form protein-protein interactions, that make them good candidates for use in a variety of beneficial applications, such as in human or animal health, industry, food science, food safety, and agriculture. It is essential to identify and characterize the proteins produced by particular phages in order to use these viruses in a variety of functional processes, such as bacterial detection, as vehicles for drug delivery, in vaccine development, and to combat multidrug resistant bacterial infections. Furthermore, phages can also play a major role in the design of a variety of cheap and stable sensors as well as in diagnostic assays that can either specifically identify specific compounds or detect bacteria. This article reviews recently developed phage-based techniques, such as the use of recombinant tempered phages, phage display and phage amplification-based detection. It also encompasses the application of phages as capture elements, biosensors and bioreceptors, with a special emphasis on novel bacteriophage-based mass spectrometry (MS) applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana G. Abril
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15898 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
- Department of Food Technology, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Marine Research Institute (IIM), 36208 Vigo, Spain;
| | - Mónica Carrera
- Department of Food Technology, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Marine Research Institute (IIM), 36208 Vigo, Spain;
| | - Vicente Notario
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA;
| | - Ángeles Sánchez-Pérez
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia;
| | - Tomás G. Villa
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15898 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
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