Advances in Phage Therapy: Targeting the <i>Burkholderia cepacia</i> Complex

The increasing prevalence and worldwide distribution of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens is an imminent danger to public health and threatens virtually all aspects of modern medicine. Particularly concerning, yet insufficiently addressed, are the members of the <i>Burkholderia cepacia&l...

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Main Authors: Philip Lauman, Jonathan J. Dennis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-07-01
Series:Viruses
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/7/1331
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author Philip Lauman
Jonathan J. Dennis
author_facet Philip Lauman
Jonathan J. Dennis
author_sort Philip Lauman
collection DOAJ
description The increasing prevalence and worldwide distribution of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens is an imminent danger to public health and threatens virtually all aspects of modern medicine. Particularly concerning, yet insufficiently addressed, are the members of the <i>Burkholderia cepacia</i> complex (Bcc), a group of at least twenty opportunistic, hospital-transmitted, and notoriously drug-resistant species, which infect and cause morbidity in patients who are immunocompromised and those afflicted with chronic illnesses, including cystic fibrosis (CF) and chronic granulomatous disease (CGD). One potential solution to the antimicrobial resistance crisis is phage therapy—the use of phages for the treatment of bacterial infections. Although phage therapy has a long and somewhat checkered history, an impressive volume of modern research has been amassed in the past decades to show that when applied through specific, scientifically supported treatment strategies, phage therapy is highly efficacious and is a promising avenue against drug-resistant and difficult-to-treat pathogens, such as the Bcc. In this review, we discuss the clinical significance of the Bcc, the advantages of phage therapy, and the theoretical and clinical advancements made in phage therapy in general over the past decades, and apply these concepts specifically to the nascent, but growing and rapidly developing, field of Bcc phage therapy.
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spelling doaj.art-3ae21fb1e0a74d68abc8721ba83aa4dc2023-11-22T05:14:18ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152021-07-01137133110.3390/v13071331Advances in Phage Therapy: Targeting the <i>Burkholderia cepacia</i> ComplexPhilip Lauman0Jonathan J. Dennis1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, CanadaDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, CanadaThe increasing prevalence and worldwide distribution of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens is an imminent danger to public health and threatens virtually all aspects of modern medicine. Particularly concerning, yet insufficiently addressed, are the members of the <i>Burkholderia cepacia</i> complex (Bcc), a group of at least twenty opportunistic, hospital-transmitted, and notoriously drug-resistant species, which infect and cause morbidity in patients who are immunocompromised and those afflicted with chronic illnesses, including cystic fibrosis (CF) and chronic granulomatous disease (CGD). One potential solution to the antimicrobial resistance crisis is phage therapy—the use of phages for the treatment of bacterial infections. Although phage therapy has a long and somewhat checkered history, an impressive volume of modern research has been amassed in the past decades to show that when applied through specific, scientifically supported treatment strategies, phage therapy is highly efficacious and is a promising avenue against drug-resistant and difficult-to-treat pathogens, such as the Bcc. In this review, we discuss the clinical significance of the Bcc, the advantages of phage therapy, and the theoretical and clinical advancements made in phage therapy in general over the past decades, and apply these concepts specifically to the nascent, but growing and rapidly developing, field of Bcc phage therapy.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/7/1331<i>Burkholderia cepacia</i> complex (Bcc)bacteriapathogenesisantibiotic resistancebacteriophagesphages
spellingShingle Philip Lauman
Jonathan J. Dennis
Advances in Phage Therapy: Targeting the <i>Burkholderia cepacia</i> Complex
Viruses
<i>Burkholderia cepacia</i> complex (Bcc)
bacteria
pathogenesis
antibiotic resistance
bacteriophages
phages
title Advances in Phage Therapy: Targeting the <i>Burkholderia cepacia</i> Complex
title_full Advances in Phage Therapy: Targeting the <i>Burkholderia cepacia</i> Complex
title_fullStr Advances in Phage Therapy: Targeting the <i>Burkholderia cepacia</i> Complex
title_full_unstemmed Advances in Phage Therapy: Targeting the <i>Burkholderia cepacia</i> Complex
title_short Advances in Phage Therapy: Targeting the <i>Burkholderia cepacia</i> Complex
title_sort advances in phage therapy targeting the i burkholderia cepacia i complex
topic <i>Burkholderia cepacia</i> complex (Bcc)
bacteria
pathogenesis
antibiotic resistance
bacteriophages
phages
url https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/7/1331
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AT jonathanjdennis advancesinphagetherapytargetingtheiburkholderiacepaciaicomplex