Viruses effectively target and disrupt bacterial biofilms in wound infections

Greg Howard
10th October, 2025

Viruses effectively target and disrupt bacterial biofilms in wound infections

Clinical isolates, along with controls, were incubated in 96-well plates for 24 h at 37 °C, followed by crystal violet staining. The higher the biofilm formation, the greater the intensity of purple color.

Image adapted from: Shrestha et al. / CC BY (Source)

Key Findings

  • In Nepal, a study of wound samples revealed a high prevalence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (21.1%) and Staphylococcus aureus (22.5%) infections
  • Most P. aeruginosa isolates (89.6%) were multidrug-resistant, and a substantial portion (71.9%) formed biofilms, making treatment difficult
  • Bacteriophages isolated from sewage successfully infected some P. aeruginosa strains (22.9%), including MDR and biofilm-producing ones, and significantly reduced biofilm formation by 58%
Wound infections represent a significant clinical challenge, particularly when caused by bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common culprit, known for its adaptability and ability to form biofilms – complex communities of bacteria encased in a protective matrix, making them notoriously difficult to eradicate with conventional treatments.[1] conducted by researchers at the Institute for Research in Science and Technology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur Hospital, Public Health Concern Trust (PHeCT)-Nepal, Anandaban Hospital, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) investigated whether bacteriophages – viruses that specifically infect bacteria – could offer a solution to this growing problem in Nepal. The study began by analyzing 647 wound samples, isolating P. aeruginosa from 96 of them. Antibiotic susceptibility testing revealed that piperacillin/tazobactam was the most effective drug against these isolates, while doxycycline showed the poorest performance. Critically, a high proportion – 89.6% – were identified as multidrug-resistant (MDR), meaning they were resistant to several commonly used antibiotics. Furthermore, 71.9% of the isolates were capable of forming biofilms. These findings align with broader global concerns regarding antibiotic resistance in wound pathogens[2], where similar studies have documented high rates of MDR strains, particularly P. aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. To address this resistance, the researchers turned to bacteriophages. These viruses were isolated from sewage, a common environmental source of phages that infect bacteria. Three different phages were found to specifically target P. aeruginosa. Of these, phage vB_PaeP_PS2 demonstrated the most promising activity, successfully infecting 22.9% of the P. aeruginosa isolates, including a substantial number of both MDR (17 isolates) and biofilm-producing strains (21 isolates). The effectiveness of phage vB_PaeP_PS2 was further tested by assessing its ability to disrupt existing biofilms. The tissue culture plate assay showed a significant reduction in biofilm formation following treatment with the phage, achieving a 58% reduction after just six hours. This is particularly important, as biofilms are inherently more resistant to antibiotics than free-floating bacteria. Previous research[3] has highlighted the potential of bacteriophage therapy as an alternative to antibiotics for septic wounds, successfully isolating phages with lytic activity against MDR bacteria like P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and E. coli. The current study builds on this work by demonstrating the efficacy of locally isolated phages against P. aeruginosa biofilms in a Nepalese context. Interestingly, the phenotypic variability of P. aeruginosa virulence factors, such as pyocyanin production and motility, doesn’t necessarily correlate with disease severity[4], suggesting that targeting the bacteria’s ability to form biofilms – a more consistent trait – may be a more effective therapeutic strategy. The study by represents the first demonstration, in Nepal, of the potential of phages to combat biofilm-forming MDR P. aeruginosa isolates, offering a potentially valuable tool in the fight against antibiotic resistance in wound care.

MedicineBiotechBiochem

References

Main Study

1) Bacteriophage as an anti-biofilm agent against Pseudomonas aeruginosa from wound infection

Published 9th October, 2025

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0334139

Related Studies

2) Microbial Species Isolated from Infected Wounds and Antimicrobial Resistance Analysis: Data Emerging from a Three-Years Retrospective Study.

https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics10101162

3) Isolation and in vitro evaluation of bacteriophages against MDR-bacterial isolates from septic wound infections.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0179245

4) Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical blood isolates display significant phenotypic variability.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0270576


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