title: Experimental phage therapy against Staphylococcus aureus in mice.
abstract: The present study describes a bacteriophage (M(Sa)) active against Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant staphylococcal strains. When inoculated into mice simultaneously with S. aureus A170 (10(8) CFU/mouse), phage (10(9) PFU) rescued 97% of the mice; when applied to nonlethal (5 x 10(6) CFU/mouse) 10-day infections, the phage also fully cleared the bacteria. The phage M(Sa), delivered inside macrophages by S. aureus, kills the intracellular staphylococci in vivo and in vitro. The phage can also prevent abscess formation and reduce the bacterial load and weight of abscesses. These results suggest a potential use of the phage for the control of both local and systemic human S. aureus infections.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze del Suolo, della Pianta, dell'Ambiente e delle Produzioni Animali, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Università 133, Portici, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosanna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Capparelli
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parlato
authors.forename: Giorgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Borriello
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Salvatore
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Iannelli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D013204:Staphylococcus Phages / Q000502:physiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*