PEGylation of bacteriophages increases blood circulation time and reduces T-helper type 1 immune response.

ABSTRACT: The increasing occurrence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens is of growing concern, and must be counteracted by alternative antimicrobial treatments. Bacteriophages represent the natural enemies of bacteria. However, the strong immune response following application of phages and rapid clearance from the blood stream are hurdles which need to be overcome. Towards our goal to render phages less immunogenic and prolong blood circulation time, we have chemically modified intact bacteriophages by conjugation of the non-immunogenic polymer monomethoxy-polyethylene glycol (mPEG) to virus proteins. As a proof of concept, we have used two different polyvalent and strictly virulent phages of the Myoviridae, representing typical candidates for therapeutical approaches: Felix-O1 (infects Salmonella) an

SUBMITTER: Kim KP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3815886 | biostudies-literature | 2008 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature