Phage Discovery and Phage Therapy

A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Biopharmaceuticals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 March 2025) | Viewed by 2687

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
Interests: phage biology; phage discovery; phage therapy; phage–host interaction

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are delighted to announce the launch of this Special Issue entitled "Phage Discovery and Phage Therapy". This Special Issue aims to showcase the latest advancements and cutting-edge research in the field of phage biology, with a particular focus on phage discovery and its therapeutic applications.

In recent years, phage therapy has emerged as a new frontier in medical research. The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria poses a significant global health challenge, necessitating the exploration of alternative therapeutic approaches. Bacteriophages, also known as phages, are viruses that specifically target and infect bacteria, offering immense potential as powerful tools in combating antibiotic resistance.

The remarkable specificity of phages in recognizing and destroying bacterial pathogens while leaving the surrounding beneficial microbiota intact has garnered considerable attention, making them attractive candidates for the development of targeted antimicrobial therapies. Phage therapy holds great promise not only in treating infections but also in preventing their spread and minimizing the emergence of antibiotic resistance.

We are pleased to invite the submission of original research articles to this Special Issue. The topics to be covered in this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

- Novel phage discovery: We welcome articles focusing on the identification and characterization of new phages, encompassing their isolation, classification, and genomic analysis.
- Basic phage biology: Manuscripts exploring fundamental aspects of phage biology, such as phage–host interactions, phage replication strategies, and phage evolution, are highly encouraged.
- Phage engineering: We invite papers that delve into the field of phage engineering, including the modification of phages for therapeutic applications, phage-based biocontrol strategies, and phage-mediated gene delivery systems.
- Phage lysins and lysis systems: Research articles focusing on the characterization, engineering, and application of phage-derived lysins and lysis systems for bacterial eradication and antimicrobial therapy are welcomed.
- New advances in methodologies in phage research: Manuscripts describing innovative methodologies, techniques, or tools that advance phage research, such as phage isolation, phage genome sequencing, or high-throughput screening methods, are of particular interest.

We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions and promoting the advancement of knowledge in the field of phage research.

Dr. Sha Liu
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • phage discovery
  • phage biology
  • phage engineering
  • phage lysins
  • phage therapy

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

22 pages, 10450 KiB  
Article
Isolation and Characterization of Lytic Bacteriophages Capable of Infecting Diverse Multidrug-Resistant Strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa: PaCCP1 and PaCCP2
by Boris Parra, Maximiliano Sandoval, Vicente Arriagada, Luis Amsteins, Cristobal Aguayo, Andrés Opazo-Capurro, Arnaud Dechesne and Gerardo González-Rocha
Pharmaceuticals 2024, 17(12), 1616; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph17121616 - 30 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1529
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major public health threat, which is exacerbated by the lack of new antibiotics and the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) superbugs. Comprehensive efforts and alternative strategies to combat AMR are urgently needed to prevent social, medical, and economic [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major public health threat, which is exacerbated by the lack of new antibiotics and the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) superbugs. Comprehensive efforts and alternative strategies to combat AMR are urgently needed to prevent social, medical, and economic consequences. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a pathogen responsible for a wide range of infections, from soft tissue infections to life-threatening conditions such as bacteremia and pneumonia. Bacteriophages have been considered as a potential therapeutic option to treat bacterial infections. Our aim was to isolate phages able to infect MDR P. aeruginosa strains. Methods: We isolated two lytic phages, using the conventional double layer agar technique (DLA), from samples obtained from the influent of a wastewater treatment plant in Concepción, Chile. The phages, designated as PaCCP1 and PaCCP2, were observed by electron microscopy and their host range was determined against multiple P. aeruginosa strains using DLA. Moreover, their genomes were sequenced and analyzed. Results: Phage PaCCP1 is a member of the Septimatrevirus genus and phage PaCCP2 is a member of the Pbunavirus genus. Both phages are tailed and contain dsDNA. The genome of PaCCP1 is 43,176 bp in length with a GC content of 54.4%, encoding 59 ORFs, one of them being a tRNA gene. The genome of PaCCP2 is 66,333 bp in length with a GC content of 55.6%, encoding 102 non-tRNA ORFs. PaCCP1 is capable of infecting five strains of P. aeruginosa, whereas phage PaCCP2 is capable of infecting three strains of P. aeruginosa. Both phages do not contain bacterial virulence or AMR genes and contain three and six putative Anti-CRISPR proteins. Conclusions: Phages PaCCP1 and PaCCP2 show promise as effective treatments for MDR P. aeruginosa strains, offering a potential strategy for controlling this clinically important pathogen through phage therapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phage Discovery and Phage Therapy)
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