The potential of phage therapy in cystic fibrosis: Essential human-bacterial-phage interactions and delivery considerations for use in Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infected airways

Stephanie Trend; Angela M Fonceca; William G Ditcham; Anthony Kicic; Arest Cf

doi:10.1016/j.jcf.2017.06.012

The potential of phage therapy in cystic fibrosis: Essential human-bacterial-phage interactions and delivery considerations for use in Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infected airways

J Cyst Fibros. 2017 Nov;16(6):663-670. doi: 10.1016/j.jcf.2017.06.012. Epub 2017 Jul 15.

Authors

Stephanie Trend¹, Angela M Fonceca², William G Ditcham², Anthony Kicic³, Arest Cf⁴

Affiliations

¹ Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Nedlands 6009, Western Australia, Australia; School of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Western Australia, Nedlands 6009, Western Australia, Australia. Electronic address: Stephanie.Trend@telethonkids.org.au.
² School of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Western Australia, Nedlands 6009, Western Australia, Australia.
³ Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Nedlands 6009, Western Australia, Australia; School of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Western Australia, Nedlands 6009, Western Australia, Australia; Department of Respiratory Medicine, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth 6001, Western Australia, Australia; Centre for Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Nedlands 6009, Western Australia, Australia; School of Public Health, Curtin University, Bentley 6102, Western Australia, Australia.
⁴ Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Nedlands 6009, Western Australia, Australia; Department of Respiratory Medicine, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth 6001, Western Australia, Australia; Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, 3052 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3052 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

PMID: 28720345
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcf.2017.06.012

Abstract

As antimicrobial-resistant microbes become increasingly common and a significant global issue, novel approaches to treating these infections particularly in those at high risk are required. This is evident in people with cystic fibrosis (CF), who suffer from chronic airway infection caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria, typically Pseudomonas aeruginosa. One option is bacteriophage (phage) therapy, which utilises the natural predation of phage viruses upon their host bacteria. This review summarises the essential and unique aspects of the phage-microbe-human lung interactions in CF that must be addressed to successfully develop and deliver phage to CF airways. The current evidence regarding phage biology, phage-bacterial interactions, potential airway immune responses to phages, previous use of phages in humans and method of phage delivery to the lung are also summarised.

Keywords: Antimicrobial; Bacteriophage; Cystic fibrosis; Infection; Phage therapy; Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Cystic Fibrosis / complications*
Drug Delivery Systems*
Humans
Phage Therapy / methods*
Pseudomonas Infections* / etiology
Pseudomonas Infections* / therapy
Pseudomonas aeruginosa / physiology
Respiratory Tract Infections* / microbiology
Respiratory Tract Infections* / therapy