A recent study published in Scientific Reports has found that a cocktail of bacteriophages, which are viruses that infect bacteria, can effectively disrupt biofilms formed by Klebsiella pneumoniae. This is significant because K. pneumoniae is a pathogen that is associated with various infections, including pneumonia and urinary tract infections. It is particularly dangerous in hospital settings, where it can cause serious respiratory infections.
Biofilms are communities of bacteria that are surrounded by a protective matrix, making them resistant to antibiotics. This poses a challenge for treating infections caused by K. pneumoniae, as antibiotic resistance is becoming more common. However, the use of bacteriophages to target these biofilms could offer a promising solution.
In this study, researchers tested the effectiveness of three bacteriophages that produce depolymerase, an enzyme that breaks down the matrix of biofilms. These bacteriophages were isolated from sewage water and were previously shown to be effective in vivo.
The researchers found that the cocktail of bacteriophages was able to effectively disrupt the biofilms formed by antibiotic-resistant strains of K. pneumoniae. They observed that the bacteriophages were able to lyse the bacterial cells and destroy the biofilm structure.
The study also highlighted the importance of using a combination of bacteriophages rather than a single phage. This is because using multiple bacteriophages can prevent the development of phage-resistant bacteria and increase the bacteriolytic effects. Additionally, the research suggested that combining bacteriophages with antibiotics may be a viable option for complete eradication of biofilms and bacterial colonization.
Overall, this study provides further evidence for the potential use of bacteriophages in the treatment of infections caused by K. pneumoniae. By targeting biofilms, bacteriophages could offer a new approach to combat antibiotic resistance and improve patient outcomes.
Source article: Scientific Reports, In a recent study published in Scientific Reports, researchers investigated whether a cocktail of bacteriophages coding for the depolymerase polysaccharide could effectively disrupt Klebsiella pneumoniae biofilms.
