Decolonization of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae from the intestinal microbiota of model mice by phages targeting two surface structures

• Published in: Frontiers in microbiology Vol. 13; p. 877074
• Main Authors: Liu, Ju-Yun, Lin, Tzu-Lung, Chiu, Ching-Yu, Hsieh, Pei-Fang, Lin, Yi-Tsung, Lai, Li-Yin, Wang, Jin-Town
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A 22-08-2022
• Subjects: carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP); decolonization; Microbiology; microbiota; phage treatment; receptor
• ISSN: 1664-302X; 1664-302X
• DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.877074

BackgroundKlebsiella pneumoniae is a normal component of the human gastrointestinal tract microbiota. However, in some cases, it can cause disease. Over the past 20 years, the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP), has been increasing. Materials and methodsWe attempted to specifically eliminate CRKP from a mouse model with the human intestinal microbiota. To establish humanized microbiota-colonized mice, we administered K64 CRKP-containing human microbiota to germ-free mice by fecal microbiota transplantation. Then, we used two phages, one targeting the capsule (φK64-1) and one targeting O1 lipopolysaccharide (φKO1-1) of K64 K. pneumoniae, to eliminate CRKP. ResultsIn untreated control and φKO1-1-treated K64-colonized mice, no change in CRKP was observed, while in mice treated with φK64-1, a transient reduction was observed. In half of the mice treated with both φKO1-1 and φK64-1, CRKP was undetectable in feces by PCR and culture for 60 days. However, in the other 50% of the mice, K. pneumoniae was transiently reduced but recovered 35 days after treatment. ConclusionCombination treatment with φK64-1 and φKO1-1 achieved long-term decolonization in 52.3% of mice carrying CRKP. Importantly, the composition of the intestinal microbiota was not altered after phage treatment. Therefore, this strategy may be useful not only for eradicating drug-resistant bacterial species from the intestinal microbiota but also for the treatment of other dysbiosis-associated diseases.