Antibiotics vs. Phage Therapy, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382). This special issue belongs to the section "Bacteriophages".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2024 | Viewed by 10647

Special Issue Editor

Department of Molecular Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
Interests: gene expression regulation; DNA replication; bacteriophages; plasmids; human genetic diseases; neurodegeneration
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The success of the Special Issue "Antibiotics vs. Phage Therapy" has encouraged us to open a second volume on the same topic. As a continuation of the Special Issue published in 2021, this second volume focuses on the comparison and interplay between antibiotics and phage therapy. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following issues: (1) comparing the efficacy and safety of antibiotics and phage therapy, (2) the identification and characterization of newly discovered antimicrobial chemical agents and bacteriophages, and (3) assessment of the effectiveness of combined therapies using antibiotics together with bacteriophages to combat bacterial infections. Both original papers and review articles are welcome and will be considered for publication in this Special Issue of Antibiotics.

Prof. Dr. Grzegorz Wegrzyn
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antibiotics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • antibiotic safety
  • antibiotic efficacy
  • bacteriophages
  • phage therapy
  • combination of antibiotic and phage therapies

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 3931 KiB  
Article
Control of Escherichia coli in Fresh-Cut Mixed Vegetables Using a Combination of Bacteriophage and Carvacrol
by Maryanne Kuek, Sarah K. McLean and Enzo A. Palombo
Antibiotics 2023, 12(11), 1579; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12111579 - 30 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1238
Abstract
The continual emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the slow development of new antibiotics has driven the resurgent interest in the potential application of bacteriophages as antimicrobial agents in different medical and industrial sectors. In the present study, the potential of combining phage biocontrol [...] Read more.
The continual emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the slow development of new antibiotics has driven the resurgent interest in the potential application of bacteriophages as antimicrobial agents in different medical and industrial sectors. In the present study, the potential of combining phage biocontrol and a natural plant compound (carvacrol) in controlling Escherichia coli on fresh-cut mixed vegetable was evaluated. Four coliphages, designated Escherichia phage SUT_E420, Escherichia phage SUT_E520, Escherichia phage SUT_E1520 and Escherichia phage SUT_E1620, were isolated from raw sewage. Biological characterization revealed that all four phages had a latent period of 20–30 min and a burst size ranging from 116 plaque-forming units (PFU)/colony forming units (CFU) to 441 PFU/CFU. The phages effectively inhibited the growth of respective host bacteria in vitro, especially when used at a high multiplicity of infection (MOI). Based on transmission electron microscopy analysis, all phages were classified as tailed phages in the class of Caudoviricetes. Additionally, next generation sequencing indicated that none of the selected coliphages contained genes encoding virulence or antimicrobial resistance factors, highlighting the suitability of isolated phages as biocontrol agents. When a phage cocktail (~109 PFU/mL) was applied alone onto fresh-cut mixed vegetables artificially contaminated with E. coli, no bacteria were recovered from treated samples on Day 0, followed by a gradual increase in the E. coli population after 24 h of incubation at 8 °C. On the other hand, no significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed between treated and non-treated samples in terms of E. coli viable counts when carvacrol at the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 6.25 μL/mL was applied alone. When a phage cocktail at an MOI of ~1000 and MIC carvacrol were applied in combination, no E. coli were recovered from treated samples on Day 0 and 1, followed by a slight increase in the E. coli population to approximately 1.2–1.3 log CFU/mL after 48 h of incubation at 8 °C. However, total elimination of E. coli was observed in samples treated with a phage cocktail at a higher MOI of ~2000 and carvacrol at MIC, with a reduction of approximately 4 log CFU/mL observed at the end of Day 3. The results obtained in this study highlight the potential of combined treatment involving phage biocontrol and carvacrol as a new alternative method to reduce E. coli contamination in minimally processed ready-to-eat foods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antibiotics vs. Phage Therapy, 2nd Edition)
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13 pages, 2525 KiB  
Article
Phage Therapy vs. the Use of Antibiotics in the Treatment of Salmonella-Infected Chickens: Comparison of Effects on Hematological Parameters and Selected Biochemical Markers
by Łukasz Grabowski, Grzegorz Węgrzyn, Alicja Węgrzyn and Magdalena Podlacha
Antibiotics 2022, 11(12), 1787; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics11121787 - 09 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1939
Abstract
Previous studies indicated that the use of a phage cocktail, composed of bacteriophages vB_SenM-2 and vB_Sen-TO17, is effective in killing cells of Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium and Enteritidis in vitro and in the Galleria mellonella animal model as efficiently as antibiotics (enrofloxacin or [...] Read more.
Previous studies indicated that the use of a phage cocktail, composed of bacteriophages vB_SenM-2 and vB_Sen-TO17, is effective in killing cells of Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium and Enteritidis in vitro and in the Galleria mellonella animal model as efficiently as antibiotics (enrofloxacin or colistin) and induced fewer deleterious changes in immune responses. Here, we investigated the effects of this phage cocktail on the hematological parameters and selected biochemical markers in chickens infected with S. enterica serovar Typhimurium, in comparison to those caused by enrofloxacin or colistin. We found that treatment with antibiotics (especially with enrofloxacin) caused nonbeneficial effects on red blood cell parameters, including hematocrit, MCV, MCH, and MCHC. However, Salmonella-induced changes in the aforementioned parameters were normalized by the use of the phage cocktail. Importantly, hepatotoxicity was suggested to be induced by both antibiotics on the basis of increased alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities, in contrast to the phage cocktail, which did not influence these enzymes. We conclude that phage therapy with the cocktail of vB_SenM-2 and vB_Sen-TO17 in Salmonella-infected chickens is not only as effective as antibiotics but also significantly safer for the birds than enrofloxacin and colistin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antibiotics vs. Phage Therapy, 2nd Edition)
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22 pages, 2957 KiB  
Article
Modeling the Directed Evolution of Broad Host Range Phages
by James J. Bull, Holly A. Wichman and Stephen M. Krone
Antibiotics 2022, 11(12), 1709; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics11121709 - 27 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1424
Abstract
Background: The host ranges of individual phages tend to be narrow, yet many applications of phages would benefit from expanded host ranges. Empirical methods have been developed to direct the evolution of phages to attack new strains, but the methods have not been [...] Read more.
Background: The host ranges of individual phages tend to be narrow, yet many applications of phages would benefit from expanded host ranges. Empirical methods have been developed to direct the evolution of phages to attack new strains, but the methods have not been evaluated or compared for their consequences. In particular, how do different methods favor generalist (broad host range) phages over specialist phages? All methods involve exposing phages to two or more novel bacterial strains, but the methods differ in the order in which those hosts are presented through time: Parallel presentation, Sequential presentation, and Mixed presentation. Methods: We use a combination of simple analytical methods and numerical analyses to study the effect of these different protocols on the selection of generalist versus specialist phages. Results: The three presentation protocols have profoundly different consequences for the evolution of generalist versus specialist phages. Sequential presentation favors generalists almost to the exclusion of specialists, whereas Parallel presentation does the least so. However, other protocol attributes (the nature of dilution between transfers of phages to new cultures) also have effects on selection and phage maintenance. It is also noted that protocols can be designed to enhance recombination to augment evolution and to reduce stochastic loss of newly arisen mutants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antibiotics vs. Phage Therapy, 2nd Edition)
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Review

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17 pages, 359 KiB  
Review
The Potential of Bacteriophage-Antibiotic Combination Therapy in Treating Infections with Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria
by Abdul-Halim Osman, Fleischer C. N. Kotey, Alex Odoom, Samuel Darkwah, Raphael K. Yeboah, Nicholas T. K. D. Dayie and Eric S. Donkor
Antibiotics 2023, 12(8), 1329; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12081329 - 17 Aug 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3227
Abstract
The growing threat of antibiotic resistance is a significant global health challenge that has intensified in recent years. The burden of antibiotic resistance on public health is augmented due to its multifaceted nature, as well as the slow-paced and limited development of new [...] Read more.
The growing threat of antibiotic resistance is a significant global health challenge that has intensified in recent years. The burden of antibiotic resistance on public health is augmented due to its multifaceted nature, as well as the slow-paced and limited development of new antibiotics. The threat posed by resistance is now existential in phage therapy, which had long been touted as a promising replacement for antibiotics. Consequently, it is imperative to explore the potential of combination therapies involving antibiotics and phages as a feasible alternative for treating infections with multidrug-resistant bacteria. Although either bacteriophage or antibiotics can potentially treat bacterial infections, they are each fraught with resistance. Combination therapies, however, yielded positive outcomes in most cases; nonetheless, a few combinations did not show any benefit. Combination therapies comprising the synergistic activity of phages and antibiotics and combinations of phages with other treatments such as probiotics hold promise in the treatment of drug-resistant bacterial infections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antibiotics vs. Phage Therapy, 2nd Edition)
23 pages, 571 KiB  
Review
A Century of Clinical Use of Phages: A Literature Review
by Kevin Diallo and Alain Dublanchet
Antibiotics 2023, 12(4), 751; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12040751 - 13 Apr 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2048
Abstract
Growing antibiotic resistance and the broken antibiotic market have renewed interest in the use of phages, a century-old therapy that fell into oblivion in the West after two decades of promising results. This literature review with a particular focus on French literature aims [...] Read more.
Growing antibiotic resistance and the broken antibiotic market have renewed interest in the use of phages, a century-old therapy that fell into oblivion in the West after two decades of promising results. This literature review with a particular focus on French literature aims to complement current scientific databases with medical and non-medical publications on the clinical use of phages. While several cases of successful treatment with phages have been reported, prospective randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm the efficacy of this therapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antibiotics vs. Phage Therapy, 2nd Edition)
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