Mini-review: efficacy of lytic bacteriophages on multispecies biofilms

Abstract

There is potential for phages to prevent and control bacterial biofilms, but few studies have examined the effect of phages on the multispecies biofilms that characterize most bacterial infections. This paper reviews the mechanism of action of phages, the evidence supporting the view that phage therapy will be effective against bacterial targets and the opposite viewpoint, phage application approaches, and the comparative advantage of phage therapy in multispecies biofilms. The few reports measuring the actions of lytic phages against multispecies biofilms are also reviewed. The authors are cautiously optimistic about the application of phages against their targets when in multispecies biofilms because some lysis mechanisms do not require species specificity.

Keywords:

• Bacteria
• biofilm
• efficacy
• multispecies
• phage
• susceptible

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Correction

Correction Statement

This article was originally published with errors, which have now been corrected in the online version. Please see Correction (http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08927014.2020.1713544)

Acknowledgement

The generous support of a Diabetes Australia grant to PS is acknowledged.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.