Phage-steering permits antibody-mediated clearance of E. coli K1 from the gut - PubMed
5 hours ago
- #vaccination
- #E. coli K1
- #phage therapy
- Phage-steering combined with antibody-mediated clearance can eliminate E. coli K1 from the gut.
- E. coli K1 is a major cause of neonatal sepsis and meningitis, residing in the gut microbiota of healthy adults.
- K1-specific bacteriophages drive the evolution of capsule-less mutants, exposing O-antigens for immune targeting.
- Vaccine-induced intestinal IgA targets these mutants, allowing probiotic E. coli Nissle to outcompete them.
- In a murine model, combining vaccination and phage therapy protected 77% of pups from E. coli K1 transmission.
- This approach shows promise for eliminating infectious reservoirs but faces challenges due to E. coli diversity.