A Blueprint for Broadly Effective Phage-Antibiotic Cocktails

SciFocus/Dec 3, 2024/USA -- Stanford University researchers unveil a groundbreaking strategy to combat multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections using bacteriophage-antibiotic combinations. By systematically identifying complementary phages and pairing them with specific antibiotics, this innovative approach delivers broad-spectrum efficacy against deadly pathogens.

"Study provides a blueprint for developing off-the-shelf bacteriophage-antibiotic cocktails that target multidrug-resistant infections effectively, paving the way for scalable solutions to a critical global health challenge."

Key Highlights:

• Phage Complementarity Groups: Identified groups of phages using non-redundant bacterial receptors to prevent bacterial resistance.
• Broad-Spectrum Cocktails: Developed three phage-antibiotic combinations effective against ≥96% of 153 Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates, including biofilms.
• Pathogen Coverage: Effective cocktails also created for Staphylococcus aureus and mixed infections (P. aeruginosa + S. aureus).
• In Vivo Efficacy: Demonstrated success in wound infection models, highlighting potential real-world application.
• Predictive Strategy: Characterized interactions between phage groups and antibiotic classes to streamline cocktail design.
• Scalable Therapeutics: Paves the way for off-the-shelf phage-based solutions to address MDR bacterial infections globally.

This innovative framework promises to revolutionize phage therapy, overcoming challenges like narrow host range and resistance, to tackle the escalating threat of antibiotic-resistant infections.

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-53994-9

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