PHAGTHERKpn

The multidrug-resistant bacteria emergency is a world public health problem requiring the search and development of alternative treatment. Phages, bacteria viruses, stand as an effective biocontrol tool, thanks to their intrinsic properties such as their high specificity and evolutionary capability, as well as being ecologically safe.

Acronym

PHAGTHERKpn

Description

Title: Towards a phage therapy against carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae

Research group: Environmental and Biomedical Viruses

The multidrug-resistant bacteria emergency is a world public health problem requiring the search and development of alternative treatment. Phages, bacteria viruses, stand as an effective biocontrol tool, thanks to their intrinsic properties such as their high specificity and evolutionary capability, as well as being ecologically safe. Among multidrug-resistant bacteria, Klebsiella pneumoniae is a global health priority, high-risk carbapenem-resistant clones above all. In Spain, the emergency brought on by these clones is a risk that needs to be solved by implementing alternative measures allowing for its control and extermination, especially within the hospital context, as they are opportunistic and cause nosocomial illnesses. This project is based on the search and characterisation of new environment phages against K. pneumoniae for biomedical means, including diagnosis, prevention and therapy. To that end, environmental virology techniques will be applied in a first approach to isolate new phages, which will be phenotypically and genomically characterised, as well as their host range. The phages of interest will be optimised via directed evolution, and emergency studies on bacterial resistance to phages will be carried out while characterising the involved mechanisms. Lastly, a phage cocktail capable of crippling high-risk multidrug-resistant K. pneumoniae clones will be developed and tested within the Galleria mellonella animal model. Moreover, nanotechnology will be used to generate biosensors and nanocarriers as pilot study for their potential clinical use. It will be possible to use the obtained and validated cocktail as humane therapy for risk patients, without an available efficient treatment. This project is a step forward in the fight against multidrug-resistant bacteria, establishing a starting point from which to develop new phage-based therapies against other bacterial illnesses of interest, clinical as well as agronomical or industrial.