An article published in the journal “Microbiology Spectrum” reports the results of experiments based on the use of genetically modified bacteriophage viruses to combat strains of Escherichia coli bacteria that developed resistance to various antibiotics. These findings offer a way to neutralize these bacteria and new insights into the interactions between bacteriophages and bacteria that may be useful in other medical research.
The image (Courtesy Microbiology Spectrum (2025). All rights reserved) shows bacteriophage strains seen under an electron microscope, cataloged as: (A) phi330; (B) phi296; (C) phi315; (D) phi345; (E) phi346; (F) phi349; (G) phi367; (H) phi419.
A team of researchers led by biologist Jessie Vandierendonck of the Free University of Brussels (Vrije Universiteit Brussel – VUB) characterized eight different so-called temperate bacteriophages and tested genetic modifications that enabled these viruses to insert Shiga toxin into enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli bacteria to neutralize them. This proof-of-concept could represent the beginning of a strategy to combat harmful bacteria.
The growing antibiotic crisis, due to their abuse, is already causing a public health emergency. The number of deaths from so-called superbugs, which have developed resistance to commonly used antibiotics, has been rising for years. This is driving more and more researchers to explore new ways, some of which involve research into new classes of antibiotics but also new techniques to combat harmful bacteria.
Bacteriophages, sometimes simply called phages, are viruses that infect only bacteria. Many of them exist in nature, including species that attack Escherichia coli, and Jessie Vandierendonck’s team began their studies with them. Enterohemorrhagic E. coli can be very dangerous because they cause complications such as intestinal bleeding. The WHO has included these strains among those urgently requiring new therapies to offset the development of antibiotic resistance.
Jessie Vandierendonck’s team had to develop new cloning strategies to manipulate the phage genomes so that the genes encoding Shiga toxin were effective in halting the growth of bacterial cells. Eventually, in laboratory tests, the phages effectively killed the bacteria using the toxin.
This proof-of-concept was successful, but it’s only the first of many steps toward developing a therapy based on this type of technique. The use of bacteriophages has the added advantage that these viruses attack certain bacteria without harming human cells or the bacteria that live in symbiosis with humans as part of the microbiome. This is a significant difference compared to antibiotics.
An article published in March 2025 in the journal “Infectious Medicine” provides a summary of the current state of research into using phages as an alternative to antibiotics and its future prospects. Progress is ongoing, using various phage strains to target various harmful bacteria and various attack techniques, but it’s difficult to know when they will be used in standard therapies. These developments are necessary given the growing situation of antibiotic resistance.
