Structural and functional stabilization of bacteriophage particles within the aqueous core of a W/O/W multiple emulsion: a potential biotherapeutic system for the inhalational treatment of bacterial pneumonia

Abstract

The increase of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is growing every day, most likely associated with the indiscriminate use of these antimicrobials or even with evolutionary adaptability of bacteria to their environment. This situation brings a need to develop new alternatives to conventional antibiotics, and thus the application of strictly lytic bacteriophages has been proposed as an alternative (or complement) to the former, allowing release of the natural predators of bacteria directly where they are needed the most: the infection site. The main advantages of bacteriophages to treat infections is the maintenance of a high concentration of bacteriophage particles in the action site while any viable target bacteria still exist, coupled to the production of enzymes that hydrolyze the polymeric matrix of bacterial biofilms promoting penetration and antibacterial action. In the research effort entertained herein, the potential for protection and stabilization of strictly lytic bacteriophages with broad spectrum capable of infecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa, so as to maintain their structure and functionality, was investigated via encapsulation within the aqueous-core of lipid nanodroplets integrating a W/O/W multiple emulsion system, aiming at developing isotonic derivative solutions thereof for administration by nebulization.