title: Predatory bacteria are nontoxic to the rabbit ocular surface.
abstract: Given the increasing emergence of antimicrobial resistant microbes and the near absent development of new antibiotic classes, innovative new therapeutic approaches to address this global problem are necessary. The use of predatory bacteria, bacteria that prey upon other bacteria, is gaining interest as an "out of the box" therapeutic treatment for multidrug resistant pathogenic bacterial infections. Before a new antimicrobial agent is used to treat infections, it must be tested for safety. The goal of this study was to test the tolerability of bacteria on the ocular surface using in vitro and in vivo models. Predatory bacteria Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus and Micavibrio aeruginosavorus were found to be non-toxic to human corneal stromal keratocytes in vitro; however, they did induce production of the proinflammatory chemokine IL-8 but not IL-1β. Predatory bacteria did not induce inflammation on the ocular surface of rabbit eyes, with and without corneal epithelial abrasions. Unlike a standard of care antibiotic vancomycin, predatory bacteria did not inhibit corneal epithelial wound healing or increase clinical inflammatory signs in vivo. Together these data support the safety of predatory bacteria on the ocular surface, but future studies are warranted regarding the use predatory bacteria in deeper tissues of the eye.
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh, Department of Ophthalmology, Eye &Ear Institute, 203 Lothrop St., Pittsburgh, PA, 15213.|Charles T. Campbell Ophthalmic Microbiology Laboratory.
authors.forename: Eric G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Romanowski
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh, Department of Ophthalmology, Eye &Ear Institute, 203 Lothrop St., Pittsburgh, PA, 15213.|Charles T. Campbell Ophthalmic Microbiology Laboratory.
authors.forename: Nicholas A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Stella
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh, Department of Ophthalmology, Eye &Ear Institute, 203 Lothrop St., Pittsburgh, PA, 15213.|Charles T. Campbell Ophthalmic Microbiology Laboratory.
authors.forename: Kimberly M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Brothers
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh, Department of Ophthalmology, Eye &Ear Institute, 203 Lothrop St., Pittsburgh, PA, 15213.|Charles T. Campbell Ophthalmic Microbiology Laboratory.
authors.forename: Kathleen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Yates
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh, Department of Ophthalmology, Eye &Ear Institute, 203 Lothrop St., Pittsburgh, PA, 15213.|Fox Center of Vision Restoration, 203 Lothrop Street, Suite 833, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.
authors.forename: Martha L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Funderburgh
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh, Department of Ophthalmology, Eye &Ear Institute, 203 Lothrop St., Pittsburgh, PA, 15213.|Fox Center of Vision Restoration, 203 Lothrop Street, Suite 833, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Funderburgh
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Newark, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Shilpi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Newark, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Sonal
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dharani
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Newark, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Kadouri
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh, Department of Ophthalmology, Eye &Ear Institute, 203 Lothrop St., Pittsburgh, PA, 15213.|Charles T. Campbell Ophthalmic Microbiology Laboratory.|Fox Center of Vision Restoration, 203 Lothrop Street, Suite 833, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.
authors.forename: Robert M Q
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Shanks
mesh_terms: D020561:Alphaproteobacteria / Q000254:growth & development*; D000818:Animals; D000898:Antibiosis; D000070060:Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus / Q000254:growth & development*; D005123:Eye / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D011817:Rabbits; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*