Shigenobu Matsuzaki,
Author's Abstract:
Byline: Shigenobu Matsuzaki (1), Mohammad Rashel (1), Jumpei Uchiyama (1),
Shingo Sakurai (1), Takako Ujihara (1), Masayuki Kuroda (1), Masahiko Ikeuchi
(2), Toshikazu Tani (2), Mikiya Fujieda (3), Hiroshi Wakiguchi (3), Shosuke
Imai (1)
Keywords:
Phage therapy;
Multidrug-resistant bacteria; Genetic modification; Lysin; Protein antibiotics
Abstract:
Bacteriophage (phage) therapy involves using phages or their products as
bioagents for the treatment or prophylaxis of bacterial infectious diseases.
Much evidence in support of the effectiveness of phage
therapy against bacterial infectious
diseases has accumulated since 1980 from animal model studies conducted in
Western countries. Reports indicate that appropriate administration of living
phages can be used to treat lethal infectious diseases caused by gram-negative
bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter
baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Vibrio vulnificus, and Salmonella spp., and
gram-positive bacteria, such as Enterococcus faecium and Staphylococcus aureus.
The phage display system and genetically modified nonreplicating phages are
also effective for treatment of Helicobacter pylori and P. aeruginosa,
respectively. In addition to phage particles per se, purified phage-encoded
peptidoglycan hydrolase (lysin) is also reported to be effective for the
treatment of bacterial infectious diseases caused by gram-positive bacteria
such as Streptococcus pyogenes, S. pneumoniae, Bacillus anthracis, and group B
streptococci. All phage lysins that have been studied to date exhibit immediate
and strong bacteriolytic activity when applied exogenously. Furthermore,
phage-coded inhibitors of peptidoglycan synthesis (protein antibiotics), search
methods for novel antibacterial agents using phage genome informatics, and
vaccines utilizing phages or their products are being developed. Phage therapy
will compensate for unavoidable complications of chemotherapy such as the
appearance of multidrug resistance or substituted microbism.
Author Affiliation:
(1) Department of Molecular Microbiology and Infections,
(2) Department of Orthopaedics,
(3) Department of Pediatrics,
Article History:
Registration Date:
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