Reduction In Bacterial Colonization By Administering Bacteriophage Compositions

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for reducing the risk of bacterial infection or sepsis in a susceptible patient by treating the susceptible patient with a pharmaceutical composition containing bacteriophage of one or more strains which produce lytic infections in pathogenic bacteria. Preferably, treatment of the patient reduces the level of colonization with pathogenic bacteria susceptible to the bacteriophage by at least one log. In a typical embodiment, the susceptible patient is an immunocompromised patient selected from the group consisting of leukemia patients, lymphoma patients, carcinoma patients, sarcoma patients, allogeneic transplant patients, congenital or acquired immunodeficiency patients, cystic fibrosis patients, and AIDS patients. In a preferred mode, the patients treated by this method are colonized with the pathogenic bacteria subject to infection by said bacteriophage.

1 . A method for reducing the risk of bacterial infection or sepsis in a susceptible patient comprising treating the susceptible patient with a pharmaceutical composition containing bacteriophage of one or more strains which produce lytic infections in pathogenic bacteria. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein treatment of the patient reduces the level of colonization with pathogenic bacteria susceptible to the bacteriophage by at least one log. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the susceptible patient is an immunocompromised patient selected from the group consisting of leukemia patients, lymphoma patients, carcinoma patients, sarcoma patients, allogeneic transplant patients, congenital or acquired immunodeficiency patients, cystic fibrosis patients, and AIDS patients. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the susceptible patient is colonized with the pathogenic bacteria subject to infection by said bacteriophage. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pathogenic bacteria are selected from vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE), pneumococcal species, methicillin-resistant  Staphylococcus aureus , multi-drug resistant  Staphylococcus aureus  (MDRSA), multi-drug resistant  Pseudomonas  species,  Nesseria  sp.,  Hemophilus  sp.,  Proteus  sp.,  Klebsiella  sp. and  Esherichia coli.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the pathogenic bacteria are selected from VRE, MDSA, and multi-drug resistant  Pseudomonas.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bacteriophage composition is selected from a parenteral composition, an oral tablet, capsule or liquid, a nasal aerosol, a throat wash, a toothpaste, and a topical ointment. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the patient has a wound selected from an ulcer, a laceration, a deep penetrating wound and a surgical wound, the bacteriophage produce lytic infections in pathogenic bacteria capable of infecting these wounds. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the composition is a topical ointment, an irrigation solution or a component of a wound dressing. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition contains a plurality of bacteriophage strains. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition contains bacteriophage strains which produce lytic infections in pathogenic bacteria of a plurality of bacterial strains. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition contains bacteriophage strains which produce lytic infections in pathogenic bacteria of a plurality of bacterial species. 
     
     
         13 . A method for reducing the incidence of infection by selected bacteria in a medical facility comprising administering a bacteriophage preparation which reduces the colonization level by the selected bacteria in patients at risk for infection by the selected bacteria who are admitted to said medical facility. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the patients at risk for infection are selected from the group consisting of leukemia patients, lymphoma patients, carcinoma patients, sarcoma patients, allogeneic transplant patients, congenital or acquired immunodeficiency patients, cystic fibrosis patients, and AIDS patients. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said bacteriophage is administered to substantially all patients admitted to said medical facility. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said bacteriophage is administered to substantially all patients colonized with the selected bacteria who are admitted to said medical facility. 
     
     
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         24 . A lytic bacteriophage which infects  Enterococcus , wherein no more than 30% of the  Enterococcus  strains in a collection of more than 100 genetically diverse vancomycin resistant  Enterococcus  (VRE) strains are resistant to infection by said bacteriophage. 
     
     
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