A Decapsulated-cell-targeting Bacteriophage: Characterisation and Therapeutic Potential Against Acinetobacter baumannii

Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that specifically infect and lyse bacteria, and phage therapy refers to the therapeutic administration of such viruses to patients with bacterial infections to eliminate the causative pathogen. However, a significant barrier to phage therapy for Acinetobacter baumannii infections is the extensive diversity of capsule types in A. baumannii. The identified decapsulated-cell-targeting phage in this project and its cooperation with capsule-targeting agents provide a rational framework for the design of future therapeutics involving decapsulated-cell-targeting phages and depolymerase - a strategy that can potentially be applied to the majority of A. baumannii clinical strains.