Infection-responsive biomaterials: bacteriophage-tethered wound dressings for a targeted therapy

Antibiotic-resistant infections now account for 25,000 deaths in Europe annually. Attention is now focused towards alternative approaches to infection control; bacteriophage therapy, well-established in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union (FSU), is increasingly being considered as one option. 

Lytic bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that can infect and kill bacteria through rupture of the cell membrane. Much expertise has been amassed in the use of phages to kill bacteria in vitro. While the safety and efficacy of clinical therapy has not been rigorously tested in the FSU, regulatory requirements are now being applied to phage preparations in the EU. 

One area that has received limited attention, but that will gain in importance as phage use becomes further established, is the incorporation of phage into medical materials to provide an antibacterial effect on contact of that material with the target bacterium. Such biomaterials could respond to an emergent infection before the clinical signs are evident, with potential to greatly improve patient prognosis. Phage-impregnated materials could be used as medical implants or wound dressings, and in applications relevant to hospital hygiene. 

Funded by the University of Brighton Scheme B initiative.