Bacteriophages in the Experimental Treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infections in Mice

Emilie Saussereau (1) , Laurent Debarbieux (1)

1 BMGE - Biologie Moléculaire du Gène chez les Extrêmophiles

The regular increase of drug-resistant pathogens has been a major force in the renewed interest in the use of bacteriophages as therapeutics. In addition to experience acquired in eastern Europe where bacteriophages have been used to treat bacterial infections in humans, in Western countries only experimental models have been developed until recently. The Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen causing particularly severe infections in cystic fibrosis patients. Several experimental models in mice have yielded encouraging results for the use of bacteriophages to treat or prevent septicemia, skin and lungs infections caused by P. aeruginosa. Now, a phase II clinical trial conducted in the United Kingdom provides evidence for the efficacy of bacteriophage treat- ments in chronic otitis due to antibiotic-resistant P. aeruginosa strains. Together with experimental models, these results provide an incen- tive to develop more research and clinical studies to fully appreciate the benefits of the use of bacteriophages in medicine.

Domaines: Sciences du Vivant [q-bio]

Emilie Saussereau, Laurent Debarbieux. Bacteriophages in the Experimental Treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infections in Mice. Małgorzata Łobocka, Wacław Szybalski. Advances in Virus Research, 83, Elsevier, pp.123-141, 2012, Bacteriophages, Part B, 978-0-12-394438-2. ⟨10.1016/B978-0-12-394438-2.00004-9⟩. ⟨pasteur-03164911⟩