Therapeutic Phage

With the support of our highly experienced scientists in gene engineering technology and DNA manipulation methods, Creative Biolabs drives forward and speeds up your therapeutic phage development. Our scientists are confident in offering the best services upon request.

Unique Pharmacological Properties of Phage Therapeutics

Biologics are large molecules with desirable therapeutic and prophylactic uses. Similar to biologics, the large size of phage poses distinctive pharmacological challenges when compared with chemical products. Additionally, therapeutic viruses, such as bacteriophage, are capable of replicating in vivo, further differentiating them from static biologics and chemicals. Particularly, since replication absolutely requires the presence of the target bacteria, phages are self-limiting and quickly cleared following pathogen eradication.

Phages have been recognized and exploited as natural antimicrobial agents and nanovectors for gene therapy, but because of challenges such as narrow host range, bacterial resistance and unique pharmacokinetics, their potential as therapeutics has not been fully exploited. However, increasing concern related to the emergence of bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics has heightened interest in phage therapy and the development of strategies to overcome hurdles associated with bacteriophage therapeutics. Progress in sequencing technologies and DNA manipulation for engineering genomes may have the potential to accelerate the construction of designer phage genomes with superior therapeutic potential.

Host Specificity

Phage–host selectivity permits phage therapy to be directed at specific bacterial populations, preventing secondary infections by leaving nontarget bacteria unaffected. Host discernment prevents phage therapy from enriching for resistance, a major problem associated with antibiotic use. The specificity of viral–host interactions has made phage therapy attractive. As bacterial phylogeny correlates with phage host range, the ability to rapidly sequence clinical isolates will increase both the accuracy and the speed at which lytic phage can be paired with potentially susceptible bacterial infections.

Expand the Host Range of Phage

Host specificity means that phages can act as precision antimicrobial agents, but it can also pose a major hurdle for phage therapy, as it is important to know whether a given bacterial target is susceptible to a particular type of phage prior to treatment. Since a therapeutic mixture can be applied to a broader range of bacterial infections than a single phage alone, a combination of phages with different host ranges in a single cocktail is currently the most common approach employed to achieve a wider target spectrum. Newly developed viral engineering technology and DNA manipulation methods could be used to expand the host range of bacteriophages.

Fig.1 Iterative engineering of phage genomes to create phages with superior therapeutic potential. Phage B V1.0 represents a phage with enhanced host range. (Barbu, 2016)

Enhanced Antibacterial Activity

In addition to having direct antimicrobial activity, phages can be engineered for use in conjunction with other antimicrobial strategies. For example, phages can be modified to enhance the bactericidal activity of antibiotics. In addition to enhancing antibiotic activity, phages are being engineered as antimicrobial agent delivery systems that are more effective than the corresponding natural phages to fight bacterial infections.

Therapeutic Phage Engineering Service in Creative Biolabs

With cutting-edge viral engineering technology and DNA manipulation strategies, Creative Biolabs has accumulated rich experience in modifying phage to produce enzymes to degrade bacterial biofilms, and in engineering phage as antimicrobial agent delivery systems. Our scientists are dedicated to serving every unique need of our clients in increasing host specificity, expanding the host range through rational design and enhancing antibacterial activity.

Key Advantages Including but Not Limited to:

• Cutting-edge viral engineering technology and DNA manipulation strategies
• Customized therapeutic phage engineering services
• Rigorous laboratory operation to prevent cross-contamination
• Highly professional Ph.D. level scientists
• Best after-sale service

Relying on our professional team of experts in phage engineering, Creative Biolabs provides excellent service of therapeutic phage development. We offer high-quality customized services by adjusting protocols to meet even the most specific requirements. Please contact us for more information and a detailed quote.

Reference:

1. Barbu, E.M.; et al. Phage Therapy in the era of synthetic biology. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol. 2016, 8(10).