Future of Engineered Phage Therapy for Clostridium difficile Infections

Amer Nubgan

doi:10.54133/ajms.v5i.161

Authors

Amer Nubgan Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7491-1331

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54133/ajms.v5i.161

Keywords:

Bacterophage, CRISPR-Cas systems, Clostridioides difficile, Clostridium difficile infection (CDI)

Abstract

Bacteriophages have the potential to eliminate both antibiotic-resistant and sensitive bacteria; as a result, they have become a major focus of such research. In contrast to antibiotics, which assault the entire bacterial population without discrimination, bacteriophages have a limited set of characteristics that allow them to target infectious microbes while avoiding friendly species (commensal microbiota). Nevertheless, large groups of naturally occurring bacteriophages that are well-differentiated and selective for the most clinically recognized pathogenic bacterial strains are required. Utilizing genetic engineering techniques that modify the target phage genome to synthesize phages with known characteristics in a brief period of time and at a low acquisition, characterization, and treatment cost. Clostridioides difficile is the leading cause of nosocomial acquired diarrhea, causing approximately 500,000 cases of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) and nearly 29,000 deaths annually in the United States. Vancomycin is the most commonly used antibiotic to treat CDIs, and it is believed that it contributes to the disturbance of the gut microbiota, resulting in diminished colonization resistance against CDI and increased recurrence rates. This article provides a concise summary of existing CRISPR-Cas systems that can be utilized to create a lytic phage as a potential treatment for CDIs. While further study is needed, phage therapy appears to be a promising and perhaps more sustainable approach to preventing severe CDIs.

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