title: Evaluation of bacteriophage therapy to control Clostridium difficile and toxin production in an in vitro human colon model system.
abstract: Clostridium difficile is a leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrhoea and represents a major challenge for healthcare providers. Due to the decreasing efficacy and associated problems of antibiotic therapy there is a need for synergistic and alternative treatments. In this study we investigated the use of a specific bacteriophage, ΦCD27, in a human colon model of C. difficile infection. Our findings demonstrate a significant reduction in the burden of C. difficile cells and toxin production with phage treatment relative to an untreated control, with no detrimental effect on commensal bacterial populations. The results demonstrate the potential of phage therapy, and highlight the limitations of using phages that have lysogenic capacity.
authors.affiliation: Gut Health and Food Safety Institute Strategic Programme, Institute of Food Research, Colney, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Meader
authors.forename: Melinda J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Steverding
authors.forename: Simon R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Carding
authors.forename: Arjan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Narbad
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D001691:Biological Therapy / Q000379:methods; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000821:virology*; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D003106:Colon / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008242:Lysogeny; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001427:Bacterial Toxins
keywords: Bacteriophage therapy; Clostridium difficile; Human colon model; Lysogeny; Toxin