Phage-Derived Depolymerase: Its Possible Role for Secondary Bacterial Infections in COVID-19 Patients

Abstract

As of 29 July 2022, there had been a cumulative 572,239,451 confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide, including 6,390,401 fatalities. COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms are usually treated with a combination of virus- and drug-induced immuno-suppression medicines. Critical clinical complications of the respiratory system due to secondary bacterial infections (SBIs) could be the reason for the high mortality rate in COVID-19 patients. Unfortunately, antimicrobial resistance is increasing daily, and only a few options are available in our antimicrobial armory. Hence, alternative therapeutic options such as enzymes derived from bacteriophages can be considered for treating SBIs in COVID-19 patients. In particular, phage-derived depolymerases have high antivirulent potency that can efficiently degrade bacterial capsular polysaccharides, lipopolysaccharides, and exopolysaccharides. They have emerged as a promising class of new antibiotics and their therapeutic role for bacterial infections is already confirmed in animal models. This review provides an overview of the rising incidence of SBIs among COVID-19 patients. We present a practicable novel workflow for phage-derived depolymerases that can easily be adapted for treating SBIs in COVID-19 patients.

Genome Sequence of Novel Clostridium perfringens Bacteriophage vB_CpeS-17DYC, Isolated from Wastewater in China

“…Humans and animals are thus exposed to serious health risks from these bacteria ( 1 ). Infections caused by these antibiotic-resistant bacteria are becoming an increasing concern that could be treated with phage therapy ( 2 , 3 ).…”

Phage Endolysins: Advances in the World of Food Safety

“…Thus, phage preparations against Listeria monocytogenes (Listshield TM), Salmonella enterica (SalmFresh TM), and Escherichia coli (Ecoshield TM) have received generally recognized as safe (GRAS) designation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for direct application to food and are commercially available. Phages have several advantages of their use in industry; however, there are some drawbacks including narrow host range, emergence of resistance, lack of broad spectrum activity, limited shelf life and complex interactions [9]. In this context, virus-encoded proteins…”

“…In phage research, endolysins were characterized and their roles in the lytic cycle of phages were discovered [9]. Moreover, endolysin applications and their role as antimicrobial agents were also explored.…”

“…Phage endolysins infecting Gram positive bacteria are typically categorized in a modular manner having unique enzymatically active domains (EADs) and cell-wall binding domains (CBDs) [15]. EADs provide the simple enzymatic action that degrades the peptidoglycan structure, while CBD can identify and bind to specific cell wall linked In phage research, endolysins were characterized and their roles in the lytic cycle of phages were discovered [9]. Moreover, endolysin applications and their role as antimicrobial agents were also explored.…”

Unraveling the Significance of Phage-Derived Enzymes for treating Secondary Bacterial Infections among COVID-19 Patients

“…In the context of COVID-19, the significance of PDEs (endolysins and depolymerases) in managing SBIs is of particular interest [16]. As COVID-19 patients often experience compromised immune responses and respiratory distress, they are susceptible to SBIs, which can lead to severe complications and worsen patient outcomes [3].…”