bims-fagtap 2026-01-25 papers

bims-fagtap

Biomed News

on Phage therapies and applications

Issue of 2026–01–25
37 papers selected by
Luca Bolliger, lxBio

A theoretical framework for an integrated public-private approach to address the AMR crisis with phage therapy: a thought experiment.
Engineering bacteriophages for gut health: precision antimicrobials and beyond.
Bacteriophages in Hip and Knee Periprosthetic Joint Infections: A Promising Tool in the Era of Antibiotic Resistance.
Genetically engineered bacteriophages - their roles in combating intracellular bacterial infections and unraveling phage-eukaryote interactions.
Pairing Antibiotics with Phages: A New Strategy to Tackle Biofilms of Drug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii-Insights from In Vitro and In Vivo Studies.
Bacteriophages in gut metagenomes: from analysis to application.
Defining Wound Care Learning Objectives for Medical Students: A Multidisciplinary Comparison of Expert and Practitioner Perspectives.
Harnessing Polymeric Xerogels for Enhanced Wound Care: Properties, Mechanisms, and Applications.
Triboelectric Wearable Devices for Wound Healing: Materials, Mechanisms, and Innovative Designs.
Precision insect control using programmable modular phage therapy platforms.
Breaking resistance: strategies for novel antibacterial therapeutic interventions.
Successful Bacteriophage Treatment of a Recalcitrant Intra-Abdominal Infection Caused by Multi-Drug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a 2-year-old Child.
Application of ultrasound and ultrasound-responsive materials in wounds: A systematic review.
A review on antibiotic and non-antibiotic decolonization strategies of multidrug-resistant bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.
Gut microbiota modulation in gastrointestinal disorders: current evidence and therapeutic perspectives.
Recent developments in zinc oxide-polymer nanocomposites for enhanced wound healing applications.
Phage-Based Biocontrol of Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in Foods and on Food-Contact Surfaces: Toward Sustainable Food Safety.
A Prospective Randomised Clinical Study Comparing Polygalacturonic and Caprylic Acid Ointment to Medical-Grade Honey in the Management of Chronic Wounds.
Microbial dysbiosis and immune dysregulation in periodontitis and peri-implantitis.
Limitations and safety aspects related to the use of bacteriophages in food production.
Development of Biocompatible Fatty Acid-Based Ionic Liquids for the Effective Topical Treatment of Periodontitis.
The opposite effects of stringent response on phage infection of Pseudomonas putida.
A review of the wide applications of microfluidic devices in peri-implantitis, periodontitis, and endodontics.
Phage-based biocontrol of Salmonella and E. coli in raw chicken filets: optimizing phage-based solutions to enhance food safety under cooled storing conditions.
Cohort profile: The Dutch wound monitor cohort and the Swedish Region Halland Integrated Platform (RHIP) wound cohort.
Biofilm Formation in Clinical Acinetobacter baumannii Is Influenced by Isolate Source and Is Inversely Correlated With Antibiotic Resistance.
Killing cancer takes guts: lessons learned from the manipulation of gut microbiome and immunotherapy for the future of urothelial carcinoma.
The potential of antimicrobial peptides to treat oral infections and cancer.
Isolation and characterization of novel lytic bacteriophages against (fluoro)quinolone-resistant Campylobacter strains.
Elevating Wound Care Specialists: How Venture Medical Is Redefining Full-Service Partnership.
Biofilms: from the cradle of life to life support.
A multifunctional hydrogel for wound healing via pH-triggered TA-Fe3+ release: Synchronous monitoring and antibacterial action.
Adjunctive Therapies in Periodontitis: Current Concepts and the Future.
Emerging therapeutic drug targets in amino acid and protein biosynthesis pathways against ESKAPE and non-ESKAPE pathogens: a comprehensive review.
Efficacy prediction of bacteriophage-antibiotic combinations against Staphylococcus aureus biofilms using planktonic bacteria.
Gut microbiota in early and established stages of rheumatoid arthritis: from pathogenesis to promising prevention and treatment.
Combination of bacteriophage-probiotics alleviates intestinal barrier dysfunction by regulating gut microbiome in a chick model of multidrug-resistant Salmonella infection.

Future Microbiol. 2026 Jan 22. 1-3

A theoretical framework for an integrated public-private approach to address the AMR crisis with phage therapy: a thought experiment.

Sebastian Leptihn, Belinda Loh.



Keywords:  Bacteriophage; Nagoya Protocol; antiinfective development; antimicrobial resistance; infection control; intellectual property; phage therapy

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/17460913.2026.2620278
J Nanobiotechnology. 2026 Jan 22. 24(1): 62

Engineering bacteriophages for gut health: precision antimicrobials and beyond.

Mengmeng Xu, Shuling Chen, Hailong Pei, Lin Hu, Yongsheng Zhang.

  Engineered bacteriophages are emerging as a promising class of precision antimicrobials at a time when gastrointestinal diseases are increasingly linked to microbial dysbiosis, antibiotic resistance, and disruptions in host-microbe interactions. Conventional antibiotics often provide limited benefit in these settings because they lack selectivity and fail to restore microbial ecology. Advances in synthetic biology and nanotechnology have made it possible to redesign phages with enhanced specificity, expanded functionality, and improved stability, positioning them as versatile tools for microbiota-centered therapies. This review summarizes the major engineering approaches, and examines their applications in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), colorectal cancer (CRC), and infectious enteritis. Key mechanistic insights into pathogen targeting, immune modulation, and barrier protection are highlighted. Remaining challenges, such as ensuring long-term stability, avoiding resistance development, and enabling scalable manufacturing, are discussed together with emerging interdisciplinary strategies that may advance the clinical translation of personalized phage therapies.

Keywords:  Biomaterial design; Colorectal cancer; Engineering bacteriophage; Inflammatory bowel disease; Phage therapy

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-026-04038-5
Med Sci (Basel). 2025 Dec 25. pii: 9. [Epub ahead of print]14(1):

Bacteriophages in Hip and Knee Periprosthetic Joint Infections: A Promising Tool in the Era of Antibiotic Resistance.

Filippo Migliorini, Luise Schäfer, Raju Vaishya, Jörg Eschweiler, Francesco Oliva, Arne Driessen, Gennaro Pipino, Nicola Maffulli.

  Background: Periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) of the hip and knee are one of the most severe complications in arthroplasty, often requiring prolonged antibiotic therapy and multiple revision surgeries. The increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant organisms and biofilm-associated PJIs has renewed interest in bacteriophage therapy as a targeted, adjunctive treatment option in refractory cases. This investigation systematically reviews and discusses the current evidence regarding the application, outcomes, and safety profile of bacteriophage therapy in the management of PJIs. Methods: This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the 2020 PRISMA statement. PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE, and Web of Science were accessed in August 2025. No time constraints were used for the search. All clinical studies investigating bacteriophage therapy for bacterial PJIs were considered for eligibility. Results: A total of 18 clinical studies, comprising 53 patients treated with bacteriophage therapy for PJI, were included. The mean follow-up was approximately 13.6 months. Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequent pathogen (18 cases); phage cocktails were used in 33 patients and monophage preparations in 9, all combined with suppressive antibiotic therapy. Persistent or resistant joint pain was reported in only two patients (3.8%), while signs of ongoing infection despite phage therapy were observed in four patients (7.5%). Adverse events following BT were inconsistently reported. Conclusions: Bacteriophage therapy shows promise as an adjunctive treatment for hip and knee PJIs, especially in refractory or multidrug-resistant cases. Current evidence is limited and methodologically weak, underscoring the need for well-designed clinical trials to clarify efficacy, safety, and optimal integration into existing orthopaedic infection protocols.

Keywords:  Staphylococcus aureus; biofilm; chronic infection; personalised phage preparation; relapse; suppressive antibiotic therapy; therapy

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/medsci14010009
Curr Opin Microbiol. 2026 Jan 20. pii: S1369-5274(25)00128-6. [Epub ahead of print]89 102706

Genetically engineered bacteriophages - their roles in combating intracellular bacterial infections and unraveling phage-eukaryote interactions.

Joshua Williams, Ioannis P Nezis, Antonia P Sagona.

The rising incidence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacterial infections has strongly necessitated the development and deployment of alternative therapeutics. Bacteriophages (phages) are one such alternative, discovered in the early twentieth century. While a key tool in landmark molecular biology studies throughout the twentieth century, their popularity as an antimicrobial in clinical contexts was largely overshadowed by the development and use of antibiotics. The global threat of AMR has since reignited interest in utilizing phages as therapeutics. A key advantage of phages is their genetic tractability, allowing for the generation of a cornucopia of derivatives armed with numerous exogenous functions depending on the end use. A nascent yet growing interest in this field is the arming of phages for direct and selective human tissue entry to eradicate intracellular bacterial infections, where many bacterial species exert their pathogenesis. Engineering phages in such a way also opens opportunities to study the complex, multilayered cellular mechanisms behind phage-eukaryote interactions. In this review, we discuss the progress of phage genetic engineering with an emphasis on phage-eukaryote interactions and how knowledge of the underlying molecular mechanisms may serve further development of this prospective enhancement of engineered phages.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mib.2025.102706
Microb Pathog. 2026 Jan 15. pii: S0882-4010(26)00016-1. [Epub ahead of print] 108290

Pairing Antibiotics with Phages: A New Strategy to Tackle Biofilms of Drug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii-Insights from In Vitro and In Vivo Studies.

Majid Taati Moghadam, Mahsa Ziasistani, Faezeh Mahdiun, Mohammad Hossein Sobhanipoor, Massoumeh Ghasemi, Elham Isaei, Mahsa Kiaei.

  Emerging multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Acinetobacter baumanii is a serious challenge in hospital settings. Biofilm formation is one of these bacteria's most crucial mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. Given the ineffectiveness of common antibiotics against MDR, XDR, and biofilm-forming A. baumannii, the healthcare system must use new strategies to combat A. baumannii biofilm. This study aimed to provide an overview of the in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo combination therapy of phages and antibiotics for combating A. baumanii biofilms. Most studies suggest that pairing antibiotics with phages could help break down A. baumannii biofilms and treat infections caused by these hard-to-beat superbugs, especially when using cocktail phages and colistin to inhibit biofilm formation or eradicate biofilms. Many limitations of phage therapy can be overcome by combining phage therapy with antibiotics. Additionally, protein-derived phages have been proposed as a promising alternative or complementary approach to conventional therapies, demonstrating significant antibacterial activity. When used in combination with antibiotics, they may enhance treatment efficacy by reducing the spread of antibiotic-resistant A. baumannii and effectively eliminating their biofilms. Combining antibiotics with phage therapy may offer an effective strategy to disrupt A. baumannii biofilms in laboratory settings and improve treatment outcomes for patients with drug-resistant infections.

Keywords:  A. baumannii biofilms; antibiotics; combination therapy; phage

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micpath.2026.108290
Virol J. 2026 Jan 22.

Bacteriophages in gut metagenomes: from analysis to application.

Zakharevich Natalia, Strokach Aleksandra, Shitikov Egor, Klimina Ksenia.

  Bacteriophages constitute a major component of the human gut virome, playing very important roles in shaping of the structure and function of the gut microbiota. Moreover, bacteriophages interact with the human immune system, thereby influencing various disease processes. Recent advancements in metagenomic sequencing and computational analysis have substantially expanded our understanding of gut phage diversity and the scale of the so-called 'viral dark matter'. In this review, we summarize current bioinformatic approaches for identifying and annotating bacteriophage sequences in metagenomic data, discuss key challenges in taxonomic classification and host prediction of phages, as well as the limitations associated with the assembly and analysis of viral metagenome-assembled genomes (vMAGs). We also analyze the therapeutic potential of bacteriophages, including their application in cancer immunotherapy, inflammatory diseases, and liver diseases, and their promise as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers.

Keywords:  Bacteriophages; Gut microbiota; Gut virome; Metagenomes

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-026-03069-6
Int Wound J. 2026 Jan;23(1): e70831

Defining Wound Care Learning Objectives for Medical Students: A Multidisciplinary Comparison of Expert and Practitioner Perspectives.

Cornelia Erfurt-Berge, Lilian Mahler, Joachim Dissemond, Anika Krochmann, Pernilla Virginia Conrad.

  Assessing and treating a patient's wound is something that every medical student may be faced with from day one of their postgraduate clinical career, regardless of their chosen field of specialisation. This includes acute or post-surgical wounds as well as chronic wounds. In contrast, learning content concerning wound care is currently underrepresented in medical school curricula, although there are many possible topics and options to incorporate this subject into medical teaching. As a first step in curriculum development, this study provides a comprehensive yet clinically relevant catalogue of possible learning objectives for medical students in wound care. An interprofessional and interdisciplinary group of wound care experts collected a first draft of learning objectives. Then a group of clinicians from 16 different medical specialties was consulted to additionally rate the relevance of each proposed learning objective. By this approach, a consensus catalogue of 32 relevant learning objectives in wound care for medical students was developed. Furthermore, varying perspectives of experts and clinicians on wound care topics and their relevance for medical students were identified. The findings of this study will facilitate future discussions about implementation of wound care content into medical curricula.

Keywords:  chronic wound; medical education; medical students; wound care

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/iwj.70831
ACS Mater Au. 2026 Jan 14. 6(1): 90-111

Harnessing Polymeric Xerogels for Enhanced Wound Care: Properties, Mechanisms, and Applications.

Amrita Kumari, Sweta Acharya, Gautam Singhvi, Ashwin Mali, Ankit Jain.

  Wounds significantly impact an individual's quality of life, necessitating a tailored approach to treatment based on the wound's stage of healing and condition. Exudate plays a natural role in recovery, but excessive amounts can complicate wound management, creating a need for advanced therapeutic solutions. Consequently, there is an ongoing demand for advanced therapeutic solutions and innovative wound care devices. Xerogels are gaining recognition as promising materials in wound healing therapeutics due to their unique properties and multifunctional applications. These nanoporous materials, characterized by their large surface area and biocompatibility, can be engineered using various polymers to enhance their effectiveness for specific wound care applications. Their ability to support clot formation and promote tissue regeneration makes them particularly valuable for addressing exudative and chronic wounds. This review offers an in-depth examination of emerging research on xerogels in wound treatment, assessing the current landscape and identifying potential applications of xerogels in various forms including films, grafts, scaffolds, and particles. Additionally, we explore various mechanisms of polymer-based xerogel function and summarize recent patents related to this innovative technology. As research in this area progresses, xerogels utilizing different polymers offer advanced solutions for future wound care therapies.

Keywords:  biocompatibility; controlled drug release; hemostasis; nanotechnology; polymers; scaffolds; tissue regeneration; wound healing; xerogels

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmaterialsau.5c00134
Small. 2026 Jan 20. e14027

Triboelectric Wearable Devices for Wound Healing: Materials, Mechanisms, and Innovative Designs.

Rongjuan Sun, Grzegorz Nowaczyk, Mohd Fauzi Mh Busra, Shuying Wu, Wei Wang.

  Wound healing is one of the most complex processes in the human body, facing severe challenges such as bacterial infection, prolonged non-healing of chronic wounds, and a lack of dynamic monitoring methods. Although traditional electrical stimulation (ES) therapy can improve healing outcomes by promoting angiogenesis, inhibiting infection, and accelerating tissue regeneration, its reliance on external power sources, rigid electrodes, and lack of real-time feedback limit its clinical application. In recent years, triboelectric wearable devices (e.g., Triboelectric Nanogenerators, TENGs) based on triboelectric active materials have provided breakthrough solutions for intelligent wound management. This article systematically reviews the latest advances in triboelectric wearable devices for intelligent wound management. It first summarizes the types of triboelectric and electrode layer materials and structural design strategies, then elucidates the intrinsic mechanisms by which they promote cell proliferation and migration, angiogenesis, and assist wound healing. Furthermore, it explores their innovative applications in clinical settings, including combination with other treatment methods and integration with intelligent diagnostic platforms. Finally, addressing current challenges such as material stability, device integration design, and large-scale production, future research directions are proposed to provide references for the optimization and clinical translation of intelligent wound management systems.

Keywords:  TENG; electrical stimulation therapy; triboelectric materials; wound healing

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202514027
Trends Biotechnol. 2026 Jan 19. pii: S0167-7799(25)00503-7. [Epub ahead of print]

Precision insect control using programmable modular phage therapy platforms.

Yichen Ding, Yunhua Zhang, Yaofeng Zhou, Wujia Mo, Keyi Chen, Feng Ju.

  Invasive pest Spodoptera frugiperda, known as the fall armyworm (FAW), evolves rapid resistance to chlorantraniliprole (CAP) via symbionts, reducing traditional control efficacy and causing economic losses. To address the formidable challenge of insecticide resistance, we introduce phage therapy into pest control, enabling precise targeting and efficient lysis of symbionts that mediate resistance. We employ zein to synchronously encapsulate phages and insecticides, constructing a nano-insecticide. This nano-insecticide ensures stability, exhibits robust performance by protecting phages against temperatures up to 60°C, and enhances their survival under UV irradiation by 83-fold. It intelligently responds to the pest gut enzymes for precise and controlled release, improving FAW control by 17% and overcoming resistance. Additionally, pesticide residue is reduced by 82.4%, with minimal impact on soil and maize microbial communities, preserving seedling growth. This modular, eco-friendly framework offers a sustainable solution for resistant pests, addressing the escalating challenge of resistant pests and paving the way for advancements in sustainable agriculture.

Keywords:  Spodoptera frugiperda; nano-insecticide; pest control; phage therapy; symbionts

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2025.12.005
Mol Biol Rep. 2026 Jan 22. 53(1): 318

Breaking resistance: strategies for novel antibacterial therapeutic interventions.

Sayani Saha, Saurabh Pratap Singh Rathour, Gokul G Nair, Abhishek Dey, Nidhi Srivastava.

  Once hailed as the cornerstone of modern medicine, antibiotics are now facing a critical reckoning as resistance outpaces innovation. The relentless rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens, particularly the notorious ESKAPE group, has rendered many conventional antibiotics increasingly ineffective, transforming once-manageable infections into formidable clinical challenges. In response, researchers are pursuing diverse and inventive strategies to rejuvenate the antibiotic pipeline. Pharmacognostic exploration continues to uncover rare molecular scaffolds from nature's reservoirs, which are refined through synthetic tailoring to enhance potency, stability, and pharmacokinetics. Simultaneously, computational drug design is accelerating discovery by predicting molecular interactions with precision. At the same time, genetic engineering unlocks dormant microbial biosynthetic pathways to generate novel compounds through pathway refactoring and combinatorial biosynthesis. Nanotechnology adds another powerful dimension, enabling innovative delivery platforms that enhance drug penetration, minimise off-target effects, and bypass bacterial defences. Meanwhile, bacterial membrane vesicles are emerging as innovative carriers capable of delivering antimicrobial payloads directly to resistant cells. Supporting these scientific advances, evolving regulatory frameworks-such as the FDA's QIDP designation and the EMA's PRIME program-are accelerating the clinical trials, development, and approval of promising candidates, revitalising investment and momentum in antibacterial innovation. This convergence of natural discovery, synthetic chemistry, computational modelling, genetic engineering, nanotechnology, and progressive policy marks a pivotal turning point in antimicrobial therapeutics, offering real hope of outpacing resistance and securing the future of effective treatments against MDR infections.

Keywords:  Bacterial membrane vesicles; Clinical trials; ESKAPE organisms; Gene therapy; Multi-drug resistance; Natural products

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-025-11402-5
J Pediatr. 2026 Jan 19. pii: S0022-3476(26)00033-8. [Epub ahead of print] 115005

Successful Bacteriophage Treatment of a Recalcitrant Intra-Abdominal Infection Caused by Multi-Drug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a 2-year-old Child.

Sanchi Malhotra, Keiko C Salazar, Neema Pithia, Ishminder Kaur, Kristina Adachi, Nanda Ramachandar, Austin L Terwilliger, Anthony Maresso, Robert S Venick, Suzanne V McDiarmid, John S Bradley.

Antimicrobial resistance is life-threatening to complex pediatric patients who receive multiple courses of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Bacteriophages offer a safe treatment alternative when our antibiotic armamentarium is no longer sufficient. We describe successful use of bacteriophage therapy on a patient with a recalcitrant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection after receiving a multi-organ transplant.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2026.115005
Int J Pharm X. 2026 Jun;11 100485

Application of ultrasound and ultrasound-responsive materials in wounds: A systematic review.

Jialei Luo, Liwan Song, Xinyi Yan, Xiaolu Ma, Jianqing Gao, Ying Luo, Gaoyi Yang.

  Wound healing is a multifaceted biological process that is highly susceptible to disruption by numerous internal and external factors, resulting in delayed tissue repair. Recent advancements have highlighted the therapeutic potential of ultrasound, especially when integrated with emerging smart materials, which together offer promising strategies for enhancing wound care outcomes. Low- and high-intensity ultrasound (US) use mechanisms such as cavitation, acoustic streaming, and radiation forces to disrupt biofilms, improve drug permeability, and promote tissue regeneration. When combined with US-responsive materials, such as scaffolds, piezoelectric composites, microbubbles, microneedles, and flexible patches, these systems enable targeted functions, including controlled drug release, antimicrobial activity, and enhanced deep tissue penetration. These responsive materials effectively overcome the limitations of conventional wound dressings, which often suffer from poor drug bioavailability, susceptibility to infection, and a lack of personalized therapeutic capabilities. This review systematically explores 5 categories of advanced materials, with a focus on their synergistic interactions with ultrasound to enhance wound healing outcomes. By elucidating the interactions between material-US and their translational implications, this review offers new perspectives to advance the clinical development of precision-based, next-generation wound therapies.

Keywords:  Microbubbles; Microneedles; Ultrasound; Ultrasound-responsive materials; Wound healing

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpx.2026.100485
Infection. 2026 Jan 23.

A review on antibiotic and non-antibiotic decolonization strategies of multidrug-resistant bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.

Tobias Weirauch, Dafna Yahav, Itay Zahavi, Silvia Würstle, Maria J G T Vehreschild.

  The escalating global threat of antimicrobial resistance represents a critical challenge for contemporary medicine. Intestinal colonization by multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) is increasingly identified as a primary driver of hospital-acquired infections across various patient cohorts. While localized eradication via non-absorbable antibiotics was once viewed as a viable strategy, clinical evidence has failed to demonstrate its efficacy. Consequently, attention has shifted toward microbiome-modulating interventions, such as fecal microbiota transfer (FMT), probiotics, and live biotherapeutic products (LBPs), which have shown potential in preliminary studies. However, current evidence remains fragmented and lacks the support of large-scale randomized controlled trials (RCTs). This review critically assesses both traditional and novel decolonization methods and features a comprehensive summary of clinical studies to highlight existing research gaps. A notable limitation of this analysis is the absence of a formal methodological quality assessment for the included studies. Ultimately, definitive conclusions remain elusive, necessitating future large-scale, pathogen-specific RCTs to validate these emerging approaches.

Keywords:  Bacteriophage; Fecal microbiota transfer; Gut decolonization; Multidrug-resistant organisms; Phage; Phage therapy

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-025-02718-2
Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2025 ;15 1740322

Gut microbiota modulation in gastrointestinal disorders: current evidence and therapeutic perspectives.

Meng-Ying Zhang, Shao-Yu Chen, Yu-Hua Lin, Xing-Xing Yuan.

  Gut microbiome medicine is a promising field in functional medicine, offering personalized treatment strategies for gastrointestinal disorders. Advanced metagenomic and metabolomic technologies have revealed the gut microbiome's systemic influence, extending to distant organs like the brain and lungs. While small molecules and genes facilitate these effects, the gut microbiota's greatest abundance and activity are concentrated in the gastrointestinal tract, particularly in the distal regions. The balance of microbial communities in the small and large intestines is crucial for gastrointestinal health. However, the dominance of pathogenic bacteria can disrupt this balance, leading to tissue damage and contributing to gastrointestinal disorders. Emerging interventions, such as probiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, and dietary enrichment with short-chain fatty acids, show potential in restoring microbial balance, enhancing immune function, and potentially protecting against carcinogenesis. Current evidence from clinical trials and animal models supports the therapeutic role of gut microbiome modulation in reversing gastrointestinal disorders. However, variability in study outcomes highlights the need for further research to standardize these approaches for clinical practice. This review underscores the gut microbiome's pivotal role in gastrointestinal health and the therapeutic promise of functional medicine in addressing these disorders. This review also explores emerging interventions, such as phage therapy and engineered microbes, and provides comparative analyses of microbiota signatures and therapeutic approaches across different gastrointestinal disorders.

Keywords:  fecal microbiota transplantation; gastrointestinal disorders; gut microbiota; metabolites; short-chain fatty acids

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2025.1740322
Biomed Mater. 2026 Jan 20.

Recent developments in zinc oxide-polymer nanocomposites for enhanced wound healing applications.

Jude M Lababidi, Samaher Ali, Basamat S Shaheen, Nageh K Allam.

  Wound healing is a complex, self-regulated biological process primarily driven by the immune response. However, this normal process can be disrupted by several factors such as infection or prolonged inflammation leading to chronic wounds. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) have emerged as promising nanomaterials for wound therapy due to their broad antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Despite their therapeutic potential, the clinical use of ZnONPs has been hindered by concerns like cytotoxicity, instability, and uncontrolled zinc ion release. To overcome these limitations, natural, synthetic, and hybrid polymer-based nanocomposites have been developed as advanced delivery platforms. In addition to acting as a carrier for ZnONPs, improving their biocompatibility, many polymers have wound healing activities, providing scaffolds that promote cellular proliferation and angiogenesis. This review highlights recent progress in ZnONPs-loaded polymer nanocomposites, such as hydrogels, nanofibers, and porous films, focusing on their fabrication methods, characterization tools, and application in wound healing, while emphasizing the need for optimizing these platforms to move toward clinical translation.

Keywords:  Hydrogel; Nanofibers; Polymer-based nanocomposites; Wound healing; Wound healing ZnO nanoparticles Polymer-based nanocomposites Nanofibers Hydrogel; ZnO nanoparticles

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-605X/ae3af4
J Appl Microbiol. 2026 Jan 21. pii: lxag022. [Epub ahead of print]

Phage-Based Biocontrol of Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in Foods and on Food-Contact Surfaces: Toward Sustainable Food Safety.

Mai Alian, Hesham Abdulla, Nashwa Harb.

   AIMS: Multidrug-resistant (MDR) foodborne pathogens pose an urgent global threat. We surveyed retail foods in Ismailia Governorate, Egypt, to identify highly resistant strains and develop a phage-based biocontrol strategy.
METHODS AND RESULTS: Staphylococcus aureus was detected in 45% of samples (70% meat) and Escherichia coli in 52.5% (80% in arugula), often exceeding safety standards. From 40 representative isolates, the most resistant strains: Staphylococcus aureus SL4 from lettuce (GenBank OR646818; MAR index 0.44) and Escherichia coli ER2 from arugula (GenBank OR646817; MAR index 0.72), were selected for phage targeting. Two sewage-derived lytic phages, STB (Siphoviridae; host SL4) and ECB (Podoviridae; host ER2), were isolated. Both had ideal biocontrol traits: latent periods ∼10 min, burst sizes ∼2×10¹¹ PFU cell⁻¹, and stability at 28-55 °C and pH 5-9. In simulated decontamination trials, phage soaking on meat (CFU g⁻¹), arugula, and cutting boards (CFU cm⁻²) reduced bacterial counts by 3.4-6.4 log₁₀ after 1 h, 4.7-6.4 log₁₀ after 3 h, and near-complete eradication by 6 h (9.20-8.58 log₁₀ for SL4, 9.41-7.86 log₁₀ for ER2). Soaking, spraying, and the phage cocktail all outperformed 5% vinegar by 0.8-3.8 log₁₀; the cocktail broadened host range but had slightly slower kill kinetics.
CONCLUSIONS: Optimized phage application enables rapid, chemical-free eradication of MDR pathogens from foods and food-contact surfaces.

Keywords:  bacteriophage biosanitisation; food-contact surface decontamination; multidrug-resistant foodborne pathogens; sustainable food safety; wastewater-derived bacteriophages

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/jambio/lxag022
Int Wound J. 2026 Jan;23(1): e70815

A Prospective Randomised Clinical Study Comparing Polygalacturonic and Caprylic Acid Ointment to Medical-Grade Honey in the Management of Chronic Wounds.

Hiba Dagher, Ray Y Hachem, Christopher Hakim, Rola Husni, Diya' S Hammoudeh, Mira Bou Karroum, Nelson Hamerschlak, Fernanda Ferraz Assir, Janane Nasr, Joel Rosenblatt, Ying Jiang, Saliba Wehbe, Rony M Zeenny, Y-Lan Truong, Anne-Marie Chaftari, Odette Ghanem, Amir Ibrahim, Abdul Rahman Bizri, Issam I Raad.

  The aim in this human trial is to compare the efficacy and safety of polygalacturonic-caprylic acid (PG-CAP) ointment to MediHoney in chronic wounds at three international medical centres. In this prospective open-label study, patients with chronic full-thickness wounds were randomised to daily treatment with PG-CAP ointment or MediHoney. Assessments were obtained weekly for 6 weeks. The validated Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing (PUSH) score was used to track healing. Efficacies were compared using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test for continuous variables and chi-square or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables. Twenty-six patients with chronic wounds were included. Baseline characteristics were comparable between the groups; however, the history of diabetes mellitus was higher in the PG-CAP group (p = 0.011). All 13 PG-CAP patients showed improvement (100%), compared to only 69% of the 13 MediHoney patients (p = 0.023). Half of the failures in the MediHoney arm were associated with death (15%). No failures, adverse events or deaths occurred in the PG-CAP arm. PG-CAP wound ointment is a novel combination of two plant-based compounds that pose minimal risk of promoting antimicrobial resistance, was highly effective for eradicating wound-pathogen biofilms in vitro and promoted chronic wound healing in vivo with minimal inflammatory reactions. Our findings support PG-CAP as safe, noninferior and possibly more effective than MediHoney in healing chronic contaminated wounds.

Keywords:  MediHoney; antimicrobial ointment; caprylic acid; infected wounds; polygalacturonic acid; wound healing

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/iwj.70815
Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2025 ;15 1678163

Microbial dysbiosis and immune dysregulation in periodontitis and peri-implantitis.

Nika Mehrnia, Thomas E Van Dyke.

  Periodontitis and peri-implantitis are chronic inflammatory diseases which are primarily driven by excessive and dysregulated immune responses. This would result in irreversible tissue destruction around teeth and implants. Although the microbiome serves as an initiator of inflammation and leads to microbial dysbiosis, persistent and unresolved inflammation is the primary driver of tissue and bone loss. These conditions result from a dynamic interplay between the host immune response and pathogenic biofilms. Microbial dysbiosis results from a shift from a eubiotic (symbiotic) oral microbiome to a dysbiotic microbial community. This is initiated by excessive inflammation and manipulates host immunity to promote chronic inflammation. Concurrently, immune dysregulation, including imbalances in innate and adaptive immune responses that result from a failure of resolution of inflammation pathways, exacerbates tissue destruction through the overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the activation of destructive pathways, such as neutrophil-mediated degradation and osteoclast activation. This review explores the mechanisms underlying microbial dysbiosis and immune dysregulation in periodontitis and peri-implantitis, emphasizing their contribution to inflammation, bone resorption, and disease progression.

Keywords:  dysbiosis; immune dysregulaiton; peri - implantitis; periodonditis; periodontal disease

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2025.1678163
FEMS Microbiol Rev. 2026 Jan 20. pii: fuag002. [Epub ahead of print]

Limitations and safety aspects related to the use of bacteriophages in food production.

Angelika Roth, Charles M A P Franz, Stefan Hertwig, Thomas Holzhauser, Christian Hertel, Hans-Ulrich Humpf, Karl-Heinz Engel, Uwe Schwarzenbolz, Oliver Schlüter, Henry Jäger, Kemal Aganovic, Volker Heinz.

  Bacteriophages are considered to have great potential as naturally occurring, antimicrobial agents for use in food production. Phages are ubiquitous in nature and can be isolated from almost all habitats. This review outlines the possibilities, as well as limitations of their use in food production. Application of phages in the food sector are described and the limitations of their use as well as potential risks are discussed. Approaches for a possible classification as either processing aid or food additive are considered, and the current status of their use in and outside the EU is presented. Finally, the need for research to close identified knowledge gaps is highlighted.

Keywords:  Bacteriophages; biocontrol; biopreservation; food production; food safety; phage cocktails

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/femsre/fuag002
ACS Omega. 2026 Jan 13. 11(1): 1495-1504

Development of Biocompatible Fatty Acid-Based Ionic Liquids for the Effective Topical Treatment of Periodontitis.

Mayuko Yanagawa, Mayuka Nakajima, Mayumi Ikeda-Imafuku, Tatsuya Fukuta, Kotone Yoshimura, Chunyang Yan, Lorena Caceres Zegarra, Honoka Takikawa, Truong T Thien, Ruka Koizumi, Koichi Tabeta.

Periodontitis is a widespread chronic inflammatory disease characterized by the progressive destruction of tooth-supporting structures, ultimately causing tooth loss and impaired quality of life. Pathogenic microorganisms residing in the periodontal pockets are involved in disease progression. While antibiotics are widely used, the global rise of antimicrobial resistance underscores the urgent need for alternative treatments. Ionic liquids (ILs), which are salts composed of cations and anions that remain liquid at or near room temperature, have emerged as promising alternative antimicrobial agents. Their highly tunable nature, achieved by modifying ion combinations, allows for the development of ILs with potent antimicrobial activity, such as choline and geranate (CAGE). However, they can be cytotoxic at concentrations near the therapeutic effective dose, thereby limiting their clinical application. Moreover, recent microbiology advances highlight the need for agents that can effectively target polymicrobial biofilms, which exhibit greater resistance to treatment than their planktonic counterparts. Therefore, this study aimed to optimize IL properties based on the CAGE framework by modifying their ionic composition to enhance their antibiofilm efficacy while improving their biocompatibility. Fatty acids, commonly found in food, cosmetics, and skincare products, were selected as alternative anion donors. Fatty acid-based ILs, particularly choline and oleic acid ([Cho]-[Ole]) and choline and linoleic acid ([Cho]-[Lin]), exhibited strong antimicrobial and antibiofilm efficacy at markedly lower concentrations. In a mouse model, topical application of these ILs significantly reduced subgingival infection. Furthermore, these new ILs demonstrated broader safety margins and caused no tissue irritation even after repeated applications. Therefore, rational ion pairing with fatty acid anions may enhance both ILs' safety and efficacy, making fatty acid-based ILs promising candidates as next-generation topical agents for periodontal therapy.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.5c09114
Microlife. 2026 ;7 uqaf048

The opposite effects of stringent response on phage infection of Pseudomonas putida.

Alicja Cecylia Lewańczyk, Mariliis Hinnu, Elise Mägi, Roger Rikberg, Age Brauer, Hedvig Tamman.

  Guanosine tetra- and pentaphosphate ((p)ppGpp) are one of the key players in the stress response of bacteria. Accumulation of these alarmones activates the stringent response, usually triggered by different nutritional stresses. For Pseudomonas putida, there is only limited data available on the importance of the stringent response in stress situations. Also, in recent years, different specific phage defence systems have received much attention, but little is known about the involvement of stringent response in phage infection. Here, we show that P. putida PaW85 (p)ppGpp0 is prototrophic and tolerates chemical stress well. However, in the stationary phase P. putida cells deprived of (p)ppGpp have impaired membrane integrity. In addition, we conducted a large-scale screening of stringent response effects on phage infections using the CEPEST phage collection. We tested 67 phages of 22 different species and revealed that the lack of (p)ppGpp has opposing effects on phage infection with nearly half of the tested phages showing higher infection efficiency on the (p)ppGpp0 cells, whereas the other half shows reduced infection. We show that the differences in phage infection efficiency for phages Aura and Amme-3 are not caused by adsorption rate differences, but alterations in downstream steps of the infection cycle-prolonged latent period in the absence of (p)ppGpp or unproductive infection in the presence of (p)ppGpp. Altogether, results indicate that the role of stringent response in phage infection is highly diverse, and over half of the times the presence of (p)ppGpp facilitates phage infections rather than protects the cells.

Keywords:  (p)ppGpp; Pseudomonas putida; bacteriophages; membrane defects; stringent response

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/femsml/uqaf048
Odontology. 2026 Jan 21.

A review of the wide applications of microfluidic devices in peri-implantitis, periodontitis, and endodontics.

Mitra Rostami, Fatemeh Ostadkhalil, Naghmeh Shenasa, Nawfal Yousif Jamil, Karar H Alfarttoosi, Sada Ghalib Taher, Mariem Alwan, Mahmood Jawad, Hiba Mushtaq, Ailar Yousefbeigi.

  Periodontitis (PD) is a chronic inflammatory disease driven by a dysbiotic oral biofilm, leading to the progressive destruction of the tooth-supporting tissues. Peri-implantitis (PI) involves a similar plaque-induced inflammatory process that results in the loss of bone around dental implants. Endodontic diseases are primarily infections of the dental pulp and periapical tissues. The effective management of these conditions depends on accurate diagnosis and the removal of microbial biofilms from root canals, periodontal pockets, and implant surfaces. However, the development of advanced regenerative therapies has been hindered by a lack of preclinical models that can faithfully replicate the complex pathophysiology of human dental tissues. The integration of microfluidic devices (MFDs) offers a transformative approach for diagnostics and therapeutic screening. These platforms enable the precise analysis of microbial communities and host-derived biomarkers with high sensitivity. Concurrently, organ-on-a-chip (OOAC) technology provides a sophisticated in vitro methodology to model the dynamic, multi-tissue environments of the oral cavity, enabling real-time study of host-microbe interactions, disease progression, and treatment responses. This review examines the converging roles of MFD-based diagnostic tools and OOAC disease models in advancing the understanding and treatment of PD, PI, and endodontic infections. We highlight how these technologies address critical gaps in current dental research and discuss their potential to bridge diagnostic discovery with regenerative therapy development.

Keywords:  Dental implant; Dentin and root infection; Dentistry; Microfluidics; Oral Health; Periodontist

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10266-026-01311-9
Front Microbiol. 2025 ;16 1696826

Phage-based biocontrol of Salmonella and E. coli in raw chicken filets: optimizing phage-based solutions to enhance food safety under cooled storing conditions.

Oleksandra Berhilevych, Elisa Peh, Johanna Charlotte Vahle, Madeleine Plötz, Sophie Kittler.

  Food safety continues to be an important issue for consumer protection and public health globally. Chicken meat is considered a primary source of Salmonella and E. coli infections in humans. In recent years, phage-based biocontrol has attracted attention as a promising approach to combat these foodborne pathogens due to its advantages over traditional methods and its biological properties as a natural bactericide. Using phage-based control as a decontamination method to ensure microbial safety of food aligns with the One Health strategy for sustainable pathogen control and prevention of foodborne infections. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a three-phage cocktail with optimized efficacy for simultaneously controlling Salmonella and E. coli on raw chicken filets during cold storage. To optimize the efficacy of the final phage cocktail, three phages were selected according to their host ranges and the efficiency of plating (EOP) values. They were combined in a cocktail, and the host range was expanded using the Appelmans protocol for 30 training cycles. The antibacterial efficacy of the trained three-phage cocktail was evaluated in liquid culture using a planktonic killing assay (PKA) and on raw chicken filets stored at 4 ± 0.5 °C for 72 h, employing multiplicities of infection (MOI) of 1, 10, and 100 for targeting filets contaminated with single Salmonella and E. coli strains and a mixture of both. After training according to the Appelmans protocol, the cocktail showed an expanded host range, covering 62.5% (5/8 after 30 training cycles) instead of 37.5% (3/8 before training) of the tested bacteria. The planktonic killing assay demonstrated that the trained three-phage cocktail had a significant inhibitory effect on bacterial growth of the Salmonella strains (4/4, 100%) from 3 to 6 h, while the non-trained initial three-phage cocktail's effect was less pronounced (1/4, 25%) and lasted only 3 h. However, three of four E. coli strains (75%) were not sensitive to the three-phage cocktail after 30 cycles of the Appelmans protocol compared to two out of four strains (50%) with the non-trained initial three-phage cocktail. On raw chicken filets, significant bacterial reduction was observed when using MOI 10 and 100 of the trained three-phage cocktail. A maximum reduction of 1.56 log10 CFU/mL of Salmonella BfR 20-SA00418 and 1.48 log10 CFU/mL of E. coli 19/302/1/A after 72 h compared to placebo-treated controls were achieved using an MOI of 100. We observed a synergistic effect of the three-phage cocktail compared to single treatment, with a stronger effect on Salmonella than on E. coli strains. Using the Appelmans protocol improved the effects of the developed three-phage cocktail, leading to broader pathogen coverage. The efficacy of the developed three-phage cocktail under cold storage conditions and its ability to reduce the bacterial load in raw chicken filets highlighted its potential for extending shelf life and reducing risks for the consumer. The findings of this study demonstrate that the developed and optimized three-phage cocktail is a promising biocontrol agent for enhancing safety in raw chicken meat production.

Keywords:  Appelmans protocol; antibacterial efficacy; cold storage; decontamination; phage biocontrol; phage cocktail

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1696826
PLoS One. 2026 ;21(1): e0339260

Cohort profile: The Dutch wound monitor cohort and the Swedish Region Halland Integrated Platform (RHIP) wound cohort.

Oskar Gustafsson, Jens Lundström, Mattias Ohlsson, Hanna Stenhamre, Daniel Tsang, John Pavia, Ernst Ahlberg.

Hard-to-heal wounds are a growing human and financial concern, constituting approximately 1-3% of the healthcare budget. Wound care is not a medical specialty and is often not prioritized within healthcare. A large portion of the cost and suffering caused by wounds has the potential to be mediated through improved knowledge and effectivised workflows. One potential way to achieve this is through the implementation of AI-tools to support clinicians in planning and executing wound care. Information-driven care is a framework for implementing AI-technology in healthcare. Wound Monitor is a Dutch database containing data collected from home-care visits conducted by wound specialists during 2005 to 2022, mostly in Limburg. It contains data of more than 17000 patients. Region Halland, Sweden, created a platform of integrated clinical, financial and operational data called "The Regional Healthcare Information Platform" (RHIP). The platform contains data on over 500 000 patients during 2008-2021. Within this data, a subset of almost 39000 patients have been diagnosed with wounds or wound related conditions. This subset of patients are defined as the RHIP Wound Cohort. This article characterizes the two wound cohorts in terms of demographics and wound types. Further, it examines the quality, quantity and granularity of the respective databases. The discussion section evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the datasets in terms of the perspective they provide on the patient and wound journey. Lastly, the discussion section also explores how the cohorts may be utilized for predictive modeling and other machine learning-based applications in order to enable information-driven wound care.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0339260
Biomed Res Int. 2026 ;2026 9348199

Biofilm Formation in Clinical Acinetobacter baumannii Is Influenced by Isolate Source and Is Inversely Correlated With Antibiotic Resistance.

Qutaiba Ababneh, Dua'a Alawneh, Ziad Jaradat, Esra'a Al-Zoubi, Ali Atoom, Neda'a Aldaken, Ekhlas Al-Rousan, Yazeed Alshari, Ismail Saadoun.

  Acinetobacter baumannii is a troublesome bacterium that is highly prevalent in hospital settings, particularly in intensive care units (ICUs). Biofilm is one of the main virulence factors that makes A. baumannii a successful pathogen, enabling it to survive the harshest environments. This study aimed to corrolate the biofilm-forming capacity of clinical A. baumannii isolates with their antibiotic resistance phenotypes and isolation sources. A total of 327 clinical isolates originated from different hospitals, were recovered from diverse clinical specimens collected from patients admitted to the ICU and non-ICU wards. The isolates were characterized for their resistance phenotypes and biofilm formation capacities. Most A. baumannii isolates showed high resistance patterns against all examined antibiotics. Based on the resistance profiles, 81.2% and 12.3% of isolates were classified into extensively resistant (XDR) and multidrug-resistant (MDR), respectively. Moreover, the number of the ICU isolates exhibiting the XDR phenotype (86.7%) was higher than non-ICU XDR isolates (76.4%). The biofilm-forming capacity varied among the isolates, with most of the isolates forming either strong (44.3%) or weak biofilms (25.7%). Additionally, the fraction of ICU isolates with a strong capacity to form biofilms (60.7%, 91/150) was higher compared with the non-ICU isolates (30.5%, 54/177). We found a significantly higher tendency to form biofilms in isolates that are susceptible to 10 out of the 17 antibiotics (p = 0.014-0.002), including three carbapenems. In addition, a significant difference in the ability to form biofilms was revealed between the isolates originating from different hospitals and clinical specimens. Notably, a higher tendency to form biofilms was associated with susceptible strains isolated from blood (p = 0.024-0.04) and cerebrospinal fluid (p = 0.001-0.009). Our findings indicate that investigating the biofilm formation capacity of clinical A. baumannii strains could help identify patients requiring short or extended therapeutic treatments.

Keywords:  Acinetobacter baumannii; antibiotic resistance; biofilm; extensively drug resistant; intensive care unit

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1155/bmri/9348199
Oncoimmunology. 2026 Dec 31. 15(1): 2611458

Killing cancer takes guts: lessons learned from the manipulation of gut microbiome and immunotherapy for the future of urothelial carcinoma.

Nihaal Reddy, Kire Lau, Jacob Naman, Kevin Lu, Erin McGillivary, Amirali Salmasi, Michael Liss, Tyler Stewart.

  Urothelial carcinoma (UC) remains a common cancer with significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have helped revolutionize the treatment of UC, and there is growing evidence suggesting the crucial role of the gut microbiome in immune system function influences immunotherapy outcomes in this disease. Herein, we review the preclinical basis for how manipulation of the gut microbiome may alter the efficacy of immunotherapy for patients with cancer, highlight interventions optimizing gut microbiome diversity currently in use, review recent and ongoing clinical trials supporting the role of the gut microbiome in improving immunotherapy outcomes, and discuss clinical implications to improve outcomes for UC patients with immunotherapy in the real world. There is growing evidence that suggests that specific gut microbiome compositions significantly modulate the host immune system and response to ICIs. Early studies have shown that certain microbial taxa enhance antitumor immunity by influencing T cell priming, dendritic cell activation, and cytokine production. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), probiotic supplementation, and dietary modulation have emerged as promising methods to alter microbiomes to improve immunotherapy outcomes. Taxa from positive immunotherapy responders across a variety of cancers demonstrate beneficial effects when transplanted into both treatment-naive or prior nonresponders. Increasing evidence suggests that the gut microbiome plays a crucial role in cancer care, particularly when patients are treated with immunotherapy. Future studies are needed to better understand the underlying mechanisms. While some studies are currently underway to explore gut manipulation for patients with UC, more studies are needed to investigate the potential to convert nonresponders into responders through microbiome manipulation.

Keywords:  Microbiome; fecal microbiota transplantation; gut microbiome; immune checkpoint inhibitors; immuno-oncology; immunotherapy; urothelial carcinoma

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/2162402X.2025.2611458
Front Med (Lausanne). 2025 ;12 1712514

The potential of antimicrobial peptides to treat oral infections and cancer.

Ana Emilia Carvalho de Paula, Carla Silva Siqueira, Esteban Nicolás Lorenzón.

  Oral cancer represents a significant cause of mortality and morbidity, especially when discovered late. Microbial infections, particularly those caused by Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum, play a crucial role in cancer development and prognosis, especially in the oral cavity. Unfortunately, the current pharmacological arsenal for treating infections and oral cancer has a low therapeutic spectrum and high levels of resistance. In this regard, some antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) appear to be potential therapeutic agents, as they exhibit direct cytotoxic activity against bacterial and cancer cells with a low propensity for resistance. This study aimed to review the current literature on dual-function peptide molecules with the potential to treat oral infections and cancer. Peptides such as Nal-P113, hCAP(109-135), and Nisin Z exhibit both antimicrobial and antitumor activity, making them promising therapeutic agents for the prevention and treatment of oral infections and cancer. However, owing to the limitations of AMPs, further in vitro and in vivo safety and efficacy studies are needed before their commercialization.

Keywords:  antimicrobial peptides; antitumoral peptides; drug resistance; oral cancer; oral infection

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2025.1712514
Front Microbiol. 2025 ;16 1722119

Isolation and characterization of novel lytic bacteriophages against (fluoro)quinolone-resistant Campylobacter strains.

Yuran Elías Calancha-Padrón, Dayana Perez-Condori, Marcelo Fernando Gutierrez-Valverde, Daniel Martin Salas-Veizaga, Karin Hjort, María Teresa Alvarez-Aliaga.

  Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a global public health concern, particularly in developing countries where antibiotics are often overused and misused. In Bolivia, the indiscriminate use of antibiotics, including (fluoro-)quinolones, has led to the proliferation of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Campylobacter spp., increasing the risk of resistance gene dissemination to other bacteria, and further deepening the AMR problem. To help mitigate the proliferation of MDR bacteria, bacteriophages can be a valuable complementary treatment to antibiotics. In the present study, we isolated and characterized three novel lytic bacteriophages with activity against (fluoro-)quinolone-resistant Campylobacter isolates and C. jejuni strains. The isolated bacteriophages, BMBo_CjP_006, BMBo_CjP_007, and BMBo_CjP_009, belong to the class Caudoviricetes and possess a linear double-stranded DNA genome. Their genome size ranges from 59 to 77 kb, with a GC-content between 42 to 46%. The 90, 144, and 146 predicted coding sequences (CDSs) of the different bacteriophages did not encode any antibiotic resistance, virulence, or lysogenic-associated genes, confirming their genetic safety and lytic nature. The isolated bacteriophages showed a narrow host range and lytic activity against nine (fluoro-)quinolone-resistant Campylobacter spp., including C. jejuni, with lytic activity varying at MOIs from 0.1 to 100, dependent on bacteriophage and host isolate. In addition, the bacteriophages were stable across a pH range of 4 to 10 and a temperature range of -20 °C to 70 °C. These characteristics make them promising for biotechnological applications due to their lytic activity, lack of resistance and virulence genes, and potential utility for product preservation.

Keywords:  (fluoro-)quinolone resistance; Campylobacter spp.; antimicrobial resistance; bacteriophages; lytic activity

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1722119
Adv Skin Wound Care. 2026 Jan-Feb 01;39(1):39(1): 6-7

Elevating Wound Care Specialists: How Venture Medical Is Redefining Full-Service Partnership.

Howard Walthall.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/ASW.0000000000000395
NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes. 2026 Jan 22. 12(1): 11

Biofilms: from the cradle of life to life support.

Katherine J Baxter, Eszter Sas, Kevin B Clark, Michaela Walsh, Nikhil Pradeep, Alavia Batool, Charles Naney, Miguel Angel Vargas Cruz, Niamh Kennerdale, Kajari Das, Zhihan Shi, Anish Kelam, Vandana Verma, Marta Filipa Simões, Dirk Neefs, Vinothkannan Ravichandran, Madhan R Tirumalai, Borja Barbero Barcenilla, Guerrino Macori, Emmanuel Gonzalez, Benjamin Sikes, Fathi Karouia, Nicholas J B Brereton.

Biofilms are intricately associated with life on Earth, enabling functions essential to human and plant systems, but their susceptibility to spaceflight stressors and functional disruption in space remains incompletely understood. During spaceflight, biofilms have largely been considered as potential infrastructure, life support or infection risks. This review focuses on the prevailing beneficial roles of biofilms in human and plant health, and examines evidence of biofilm adaptability in space environments.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-025-00875-8
Int J Biol Macromol. 2026 Jan 17. pii: S0141-8130(26)00277-1. [Epub ahead of print]341(Pt 2): 150351

A multifunctional hydrogel for wound healing via pH-triggered TA-Fe3+ release: Synchronous monitoring and antibacterial action.

Jiahui Zhao, Ping Li, Zengbo Lu, Qiwei Wang, Songwang Cai, Wei Li, Peng Zhang.

  Smart hydrogel dressings capable of real-time pH monitor offer a promising therapeutic strategy for managing hard-to-heal chronic wounds by enabling early detection of bacterial infection and continuous tracking of wound status. Herein, we developed a multifunctional conductive hydrogel dressing that integrates pH-monitoring, antibacterial activity, pH-triggered drug release and strain sensing into one system for chronic wound healing. The hydrogel is constructed through a metal-ligand coordinated network based on tannic acid-Fe3+ (TA-Fe3+), chemically crosslinked with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and borax through hydrogen bonding and dynamic borate ester linkages. This system exhibits two essential functions: (1) Accurate real-time pH monitoring across a physiologically relevant range (5.44-8.56) via pH-dependent conductivity changes. These changes are driven by dynamic rearrangement within the TA-Fe3+chelate, effectively translating wound pH variations into electrical signals. (2) On-demand antibacterial therapy, achieved via sustained TA release (>36 h) under physiological conditions, resulting in notable synergistic antibacterial efficacy-99.80% against S. aureus and 99.68% against E. coli. Additionally, the hydrogel shows excellent biocompatibility (>80% viability of NIH-3T3 fibroblast) and mechanical adaptability, in addition to strain-sensitive conductivity for real-time monitoring of human joint movements. This work presents an integrated platform for chronic wound management, combining early infection detection, controlled antimicrobial release, and wearable sensing capabilities.

Keywords:  Smart dressing; Synergistic antibacterial; pH-responsive release

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.150351
J Periodontal Res. 2026 Jan 20.

Adjunctive Therapies in Periodontitis: Current Concepts and the Future.

Rafael Scaf de Molon, Joao Paulo Steffens, Erica Dorigatti de Avila, Wim Teughels, Thomas E Van Dyke.

  Periodontitis is a chronic, host-mediated inflammatory disease in which microbial dysbiosis and dysregulated immune responses drive the destruction of tooth-supporting tissues. Although conventional therapy remains centered on mechanical biofilm control, persistent inflammation and alveolar bone loss in susceptible individuals underscore the need for adjunctive strategies. Translating preclinical discoveries into predictable clinical outcomes, however, remains a major challenge in periodontal research. This narrative review integrates two interrelated themes, translational research methodology and adjunctive therapeutic innovation, to critically examine how preclinical findings can be more effectively bridged to clinical practice in periodontitis management. Evidence was synthesized from experimental, translational, and clinical studies retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science up to September 2025. Emphasis was placed on mechanistic insights, model validity, and translational feasibility across host-modulatory, natural, probiotic, and device-based adjuncts. Animal models remain indispensable for mechanistic understanding and therapeutic testing but face biological and methodological limitations that hinder direct extrapolation to humans. Interspecies differences, short disease kinetics, and non-standardized endpoints constrain translational predictability. Addressing these gaps requires refined modeling, standardized outcomes, and integration of systemic risk factors. Within this methodological framework, several adjunctive modalities, including specialized pro-resolving mediators, probiotics, natural compounds such as curcumin and resveratrol, and device-based therapies like antimicrobial photodynamic therapy demonstrate promising anti-inflammatory, osteoimmunomodulatory, and regenerative effects. Emerging translational tools such as bioresponsive drug delivery systems, nanocarriers, 3D-printed scaffolds, and AI-driven precision periodontics may further enhance clinical relevance and patient-specific targeting. Advancing adjunctive periodontal therapy demands harmonized translational models, bioresponsive delivery platforms, and precision diagnostic tools that bridge preclinical efficacy with real-world outcomes. By aligning methodological rigor with therapeutic innovation, translational research can accelerate the safe and effective clinical integration of next-generation adjunctive treatments in periodontitis.

Keywords:  adjunctive therapies; host modulation; inflammation resolution; natural compounds; periodontitis; photodynamic therapy; probiotics; translational research

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/jre.70060
Arch Microbiol. 2026 Jan 21. 208(3): 135

Emerging therapeutic drug targets in amino acid and protein biosynthesis pathways against ESKAPE and non-ESKAPE pathogens: a comprehensive review.

Ruchika Maurya, Amneet Kaur Badwal, Sushma Singh.

  Overuse and misuse of antibiotics used for treating bacterial infections has resulted in ineffectiveness of the drugs and hence increase in the cases of antimicrobial resistance. This has precipitated to the need for research and development of novel strategies to target pathogenic microbes. ESKAPE pathogens include high priority pathogens such as Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae (sometimes K. aerogenes), Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter species (e.g., E. cloacae) which are responsible for causing healthcare associated infections whereas non ESKAPE pathogens such as Escherichia coli and Mycobacterium tuberculosis contribute to community acquired infections. Hence, targeting enzymes involved in amino acid and protein biosynthesis pathways is one such strategy for growth inhibition of these pathogens. Amino acids and their products are essential for various functions such as bacterial survivability, pathogenicity, cell wall integrity, essential mineral acquisition from surrounding or inside pathogen and activation of transporters. This review details the amino acid and protein biosynthetic pathways in pathogenic bacteria along with efficacy and translational potential of various natural and synthetic antimicrobial molecules discovered and synthesized against enzymes of these pathways for combating bacterial growth. This review also highlights promising antibacterial molecules such as quercetin, pyrazinoic acid, mupirocin and enrofloxacin etc. which are at various phases of clinical trials and hold promise for treatment of bacterial infections. Lastly, the review also lists risks such as cytotoxicity, redundancy and metabolic bypass associated with these inhibitors and also proposes future strategies such as trojan horse and combination therapy to deal with the above issues.

Keywords:  Amino acid metabolism; Anti-infectives; Antimicrobial resistance; Bacterial pathogens; Biosynthetic pathways

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-025-04600-z
Front Microbiol. 2025 ;16 1706083

Efficacy prediction of bacteriophage-antibiotic combinations against Staphylococcus aureus biofilms using planktonic bacteria.

Mariëlle Verheul, Elizabeth Schonkeren-Ravensbergen, Eva M Bus, Mark G J de Boer, Rob G H H Nelissen, Bart G Pijls, Peter H Nibbering.

   Introduction: Phage-antibiotic combinations (PAC) may be effective in eradicating clinical, mostly biofilm-associated, infections. As the efficacy of PAC largely depends on the phage and antibiotic used, such combinations should be screened before their clinical application. Unfortunately, testing the efficacy of PAC on mature biofilms is laborious. This study aimed to assess whether the effects of PAC on biofilm-encased bacteria can be predicted by testing their effects on planktonic counterparts.
Methods: Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA, clinical isolate) in mid-logarithmic phase was exposed to (sub)optimal doses of phage ISP combined with antibiotics targeting transcription, protein translation, the cell wall, and the cell membrane. These experiments were followed by studies assessing the effects of up to three daily exposures to PAC on MSSA within seven-day mature biofilms on metal implant mimics. An additional 2-log reduction or an increase in bacterial counts with PAC compared to the most effective single agent (phage or antibiotic) was considered as synergy or antagonism, respectively. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to calculate whether the effects of PAC on planktonic bacteria were comparable to the effects on biofilm-encased bacteria.
Results: The results for planktonic bacteria showed antagonism between ISP and rifampicin or gentamicin, synergism between ISP and ciprofloxacin, clindamycin, or flucloxacillin, and lack of interaction between ISP and daptomycin. Similarly, ISP combined with rifampicin or gentamicin displayed antagonism on biofilm-encased MSSA, whereas ISP and ciprofloxacin, clindamycin, flucloxacillin, or high-dose daptomycin induced synergy. Notably, two to three consecutive daily exposures to PAC were necessary to reduce biofilm-encased MSSA maximally. Testing PAC on planktonic bacteria predicted antagonistic effects on biofilms (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.95), but did not predict synergistic effects (AUC = 0.30) after 3 days of exposure to the respective phage-antibiotic concentrations.
Discussion: Together, PAC testing on planktonic bacteria provides a valuable first-line screening tool for clinicians treating biofilm-associated infections.

Keywords:  antibiotic; implant-related infections; mature biofilm; phage ISP; predictive models; receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve; repeated exposure; translational microbiology

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1706083
Ann Med. 2026 Dec;58(1): 2613484

Gut microbiota in early and established stages of rheumatoid arthritis: from pathogenesis to promising prevention and treatment.

Shuanglan Chen, Minh Hung Hoang, Dongsen Hu, Qingman He, Yongxiang Gao.

  Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease whose etiology is not fully understood. Before overt disease, genetically prone individuals may undergo a lengthy pre-clinical phase during which loss of tolerance triggers autoantibody emergence. The gut-joint axis was proposed decades ago, and mounting evidence now suggests that alterations in the gut microbiome may matter most in early, rather than established, RA.Results: By modulating intestinal permeability, mucosal and systemic immunity, genetic-risk pathways, molecular mimicry, and microbial metabolites, the gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in the onset and progression of RA. The window of opportunity for RA therapy may lie before joint inflammation becomes evident, and microbiota-targeted interventions are emerging. Probiotics, dietary interventions, and natural compounds hold promise as potential strategies for both RA prevention and adjunctive therapy after onset.Conclusions: This review highlights the gut microbiota not merely as a modulator of established RA, but - more critically - as a driver of early disease pathogenesis and a promising therapeutic target, thereby providing new insights for managing pre-clinical RA and refining treatment of established RA.

Keywords:  Early stages of rheumatoid arthritis; established stages of rheumatoid arthritis; gut microbiota; pathogenesis; treatment

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/07853890.2026.2613484
J Anim Sci Biotechnol. 2026 Jan 23. 17(1): 14

Combination of bacteriophage-probiotics alleviates intestinal barrier dysfunction by regulating gut microbiome in a chick model of multidrug-resistant Salmonella infection.

Youbin Choi, Anna Kang, Eunsol Seo, Daniel Junpyo Lee, Junha Park, Yeonsoo Kim, Keesun Yu, Cheol-Heui Yun, Ki Beom Jang, Woo Kyun Kim, Kwanseob Shim, Darae Kang, Younghoon Kim.

   BACKGROUND: The rapid emergence of multidrug-resistant Salmonella in poultry demands alternative control strategies beyond conventional antibiotics. In this study, we evaluated a combination of lytic Salmonella-infecting bacteriophages (SLAM_phiST45 and SLAM_phiST56) and a probiotic bacterium Limosilactobacillus reuteri (SLAM_LAR11) in a chick model challenged with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium infection.
RESULTS: Co-administration with two-phage cocktail and a probiotic showed markedly reduced Salmonella colonization in the gut and systemic organs of chicks, comparable to the effect of phage-only treatment. In contrast with phage-only treatment, the combined therapy significantly improved the rate of body-weight change from the day of infection to necropsy (P < 0.0001) and alleviated infection-associated splenomegaly (P = 0.028) and hepatomegaly (P = 0.011). In the ileum, the villus height-to-crypt depth ratio (VH/CD) increased significantly (P = 0.044). In the colon, expression of tight-junction genes OCLN (P = 0.014), TJP1 (P < 0.0001), and MUC2 (P = 0.011) was elevated, whereas the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL6 was reduced (P = 0.018). These improvements were accompanied, in the cecum, by trends toward decreases in Escherichia-Shigella (P = 0.09) and Clostridium (P = 0.16) and a trend toward an increase in Blautia (P = 0.11); additionally, in the ileum, Lactobacillus (P = 0.037) and Blautia (P = 0.016) increased significantly, yielding a more balanced microbiota than with phage-only treatment. Consistently, levels of functional metabolites, including acetic acid (LDA = 3.32) and lactic acid (LDA = 5.29), were increased.
CONCLUSION: Taken together, these findings demonstrate that phage-probiotic co-administration not only enhances the clearance of multidrug-resistant Salmonella more effectively than phage treatment alone but also promotes intestinal health, highlighting its potential as an antibiotic-alternatives strategy to improve intestinal health and ensure food safety in poultry production systems.

Keywords:  Antibiotic alternatives; Gut microbiome; Intestinal barrier; Metabolites; Multidrug-resistant Salmonella ; Phage–probiotic combination

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-025-01324-4