Genomic analysis reveals important insights regarding bacteriophage therapy for multidrug resistance bacteria.

In recent decades, antimicrobial resistance – the ability of a microorganism to resist the effects of a drug – has emerged as a serious public health concern. Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii is a rapidly emerging pathogen in the health care setting, where it causes infections that include sepsis, pneumonia, meningitis, urinary tract infection, and others. A recent study analyzed the genomes of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and the bacteriophages used against it.

Bacteriophages (often referred to simply as “phages”) are viruses that infect bacteria. They are abundant in the human gut and exert disparate effects on human health, as seen in their potential roles in resolving bacterial infections and in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease. Bacteriophages are species-specific and typically only infect a single bacterial species or even specific strains within a species. In 2016, physicians in the United States used bacteriophage therapy to successfully treat a patient with multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. During bacteriophage therapy, both the phages and their bacterial hosts replicate and evolve, which can drive resistance to the phages and impair resolution of the infection.

The current study analyzed the genomes of the phages used in the treatment as well as their bacterial target. Their analysis revealed that not only were eight of the nine phages related (minimizing their effectiveness due to redundancy), but phage resistance emerged as early as the second day of treatment, highlighting the importance of genomic analysis of phages prior to treatment.

These findings add to the growing body of evidence to support the use of bacteriophages against drug-resistant microbes. Learn more about bacteriophages in this interview featuring gut microbiome expert Dr. Eran Elinav.

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