title: Bacteriophages and bacteriophage-derived endolysins as potential therapeutics to combat Gram-positive spore forming bacteria.
abstract: Since their discovery in 1915, bacteriophages have been routinely used within Eastern Europe to treat a variety of bacterial infections. Although initially ignored by the West due to the success of antibiotics, increasing levels and diversity of antibiotic resistance is driving a renaissance for bacteriophage-derived therapy, which is in part due to the highly specific nature of bacteriophages as well as their relative abundance. This review focuses on the bacteriophages and derived lysins of relevant Gram-positive spore formers within the Bacillus cereus group and Clostridium genus that could have applications within the medical, food and environmental sectors.
authors.affiliation: Biological Threats Identification and Countermeasure Center of the Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Pulawy, Poland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakonieczna
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.affiliation: Biological Threats Identification and Countermeasure Center of the Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Pulawy, Poland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gryko
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D001691:Biological Therapy; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology / Q000821:virology*; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D010450:Endopeptidases; C001143:endolysin
keywords: Bacillus; Clostridium; bacteriophage; endolysin; phage therapy