Bacteriophages Alternatives to Antibiotics and Beyond

• Other Authors: Suárez, Pilar García (Editor), Fernández, Lucía (Editor)
• Format: Electronic Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland MDPI - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute 2020
• Subjects: Medicine; bacteriophages; dairy industry; pathogens; lactic acid bacteria; fermentation failure; biofilms; antimicrobial resistance; antimicrobials; lysins; horizontal gene transfer, transduction; biofilm; phage therapy; resistance; bacteriophage; models; agent based; mass action; bacterial phage resistance; regression modeling; MRSA; Clostridium difficile; Clostridium difficile infection; microbiome; in vitro fermentation model; marine vibrios; biological control; aquaculture; interactions; vibriosis; Aeromonas hydrophila; Motile Aeromonas Septicemia; MAS; multiple-antibiotic-resistance; striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus); endolysin; antibiotics; one health; protein engineering; Aeromonas salmonicida; furunculosis; phage-resistant mutants; proteins; infrared spectroscopy; lysin; lytic enzyme; peptidoglycan hydrolase; antimicrobial; antibacterial; antibiotic resistance; bacteriophage therapy; Nagoya Protocol; CRISPR CAS; phage isolation; phage resistance; Staphylococcus; Kayvirus; Vibrio anguillarum; fish larvae; challenge trials; phage display; enzybiotics; Bacteriophages; diabetic foot ulcer; osteomyelitis; Staphylococcus aureus; Antibiotic-resistant bacteria; lysogenic conversion; prophage induction; read recruitment; shiga toxin; American Foulbrood; phage; Paenibacillus larvae; Brevibacillus laterosporus; treatment; safety; bystander phage therapy; Mycobacterium smegmatis; mycobacteriophages; directed evolution; PlyC CHAP; protein net charge; CBD-independent; FoldX; STEC-specific bacteriophage; whole genome sequencing; STEC O145 strains; antimicrobial agent; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; dual-species; antibiotic; synergy; simultaneous; sequential; microbiome therapy; evolution
• Online Access: DOAB: download the publication; DOAB: description of the publication

There is talk of an upcoming antibiotic armageddon, with untreatable post-operative infections, and similarly untreatable complications after chemotherapy. Indeed, the now famous "O'Neill Report" (https://amr-review.org/) suggests that, by 2050, more people might die from antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections than from cancer. While we are still learning all the subtle drivers of antibiotic resistance, it seems increasingly clear that we need to take a "one health" approach, curtailing the use of antibiotics in both human and veterinary medicine. However, there are no new classes of antibiotics on our horizon. Maybe something that has been around "forever" can come to our rescue-bacteriophages! Nevertheless, it is also necessary to do things differently, and use these new antimicrobials appropriately. Therefore, an in-depth study of bacteriophage biology and case-by-case applications might be required. Whilst by no means comprehensive, this book does cover some of the many topics related to bacteriophages as antimicrobials, including their use in human therapy and aquaculture. It also explores the potential use of phage endolysins as substitutes of antibiotics in two sectors where there is an urgent need-human therapy and the agro-food industry. Last but not least, there is an excellent perspective article on phage therapy implementation.