Browsing by Author "Semanda, Joseph"

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    Mycobacteriophages Exhibit Antibiofilm Activity at High Multiplicities of Infection
    (2022) Ssengooba, Willy; Kamya, Deus; Nakavuma, Jesca; Achan, Beatrice; Semanda, Joseph
    Biofilm formation has been shown to be a very effective survival mechanism used by many bacteria pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). However, unlike other bacteria, mycobacterial biofilms tend to be very rich in lipids, and this accords them much more resilience than their carbohydratebased counterparts’. Mycobacteriophage therapy, as an up-and-coming technology, is envisaged to revolutionize the treatment of tuberculosis (TB), particularly involving antibiotic-resistant Mtb. Antibiofilm activity, therefore, is a highly sought-after characteristic of mycobacteriophages intended for therapeutic use. Here we investigated the in-vitro activity of a three-phage cocktail against biofilms of forty-six clinically isolated Mtb using the MBEC biofilm device. We demonstrate that multiplicity of infection and the age of the biofilms are significant determinants of phage antibiofilm activity. Furthermore, based on our host range data, we hypothesize that mycobacteriophages might have a preference for Mtb hosts from pulmonary infection sites compared to those from extrapulmonary sites. If accurate, this finding could have profound implications for both diagnostic and therapeutic applications of mycobacteriophages. Overall, our findings demonstrate the antibiofilm potential of mycobacteriophages and continue to endorse mycobacteriophage therapy as a treatment alternative to our failing antibiotic arsenal. We recommend further investigations to; understand the basis of the observed host preference in mycobacteriophages, evaluate combinatorial therapy of phages and antibiotics, and screen the phages for undesirable genes.