Aims: Novel anticancer strategies have employed bacteriophages as drug carriers and display platforms for anticancer agents; however, bacteriophage-based platforms maintain their natural antibacterial activity. This study provides the assessment of combined anticancer (engineered) and antibacterial (natural) phage activity in therapies.
Materials & methods: An in vivo BALB/c mouse model of 4T1 tumor growth accompanied by surgical wound infection was applied. The wounds were located in the areas of tumors. Bacteriophages (T4) were modified with anticancer Tyr-Ile-Gly-Ser-Arg (YIGSR) peptides by phage display and injected intraperitoneally.
Results & conclusion: Tumor growth was decreased in mice treated with YIGSR-displaying phages. The acuteness of wounds, bacterial load and inflammatory markers in phages-treated mice were markedly decreased. Thus, engineered bacteriophages combine antibacterial and anticancer activity.
Keywords: T4 phage; antibacterial; anticancer; infection; phage display; wound.