According to the results of studies by scientists from the Laboratory of Bacterial Pathogenesis and Immunology (New York, United States) led by Daniel Nelson, bacteriophages can be used to eradicate the carriage of group A streptococci without affecting the microflora normal mucous membranes.

Scientists believe that for the first time since the discovery of antibiotics, an alternative strategy seems to have influenced bacteria with the help of enzymes produced by bacteriophages.

Bacteriophages are viruses that have a selective bactericidal effect. The lytic enzymes of bacteriophages quickly destroy the cell wall of bacteria.

In this study, murine hydrolase (lysine), produced by the streptococcal bacteriophage C (1), was studied. This enzyme is specific for group A, C and E streptococci and has no activity against other streptococci and microorganisms that normally live in the oral cavity and nasopharynx.

Using purified lysine in vitro, the researchers proved that 1000 units (10 ng) of the enzyme were enough to eradicate 107 streptococci in 5 seconds. When the mice were first injected into the oral cavity with 250 units of lysine once, followed by 107 streptococci, the enzyme studied provided protection against colonization compared to the control group to which the enzyme was not administered (28.5% of mice vs were infected in the experimental group) 70.5% in the control, p less than 0.03).

In addition, when lysine was administered orally at a dose of 500 IU to mice with a high degree of colonization of the oropharynx by streptococci, these microorganisms were not detected 2 hours after treatment by lysine.

Thus, studies have shown that lysine (murein hydrolase) has a lethal effect on group A streptococci in vitro and in vivo without affecting other microorganisms.

This general approach to the use of lysine can be used to eliminate and reduce the number of streptococci that colonize the lining of the upper respiratory tract both in clinically expressed disease and in carriage, thereby contributing to a decrease in incidence of streptococcal infections.

Researchers plan to start phase I clinical trials on the use of lysine. In addition, scientists are developing enzymes from bacteriophages that act on pneumococci. In the future, when using these enzymes, it is possible to reduce the incidence of acute otitis media in children and pneumonia in the elderly, since there is evidence that the pneumococci that cause the disease, before that colonize the nasopharynx.