idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

Nachrichten, Termine, Experten

Grafik: idw-Logo
Science Video Project
idw-Abo

idw-News App:

AppStore

Google Play Store



Instance:
Share on: 
03/14/2025 13:32

Tool identifies specific viruses to combat dangerous bacteria

Christfried Dornis Hochschulkommunikation
Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen

    University of Tübingen research team shortens the search for attackers that can wipe out multiresistant pathogens – with the aim of treating infections without antibiotics

    A newly developed laboratory tool can, within hours, help to identify specific viruses which can be used to destroy variants of the dangerous pathogenic bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. Viruses of bacteria, known as bacteriophages, offer an alternative approach to antibiotics in treating multiresistant pathogens. The new tool could make an important contribution to future phage therapies which are not yet used as a standard in Germany. It was developed by a research team led by Professor Andreas Peschel of the Cluster of Excellence “Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections” (CMFI) of the University of Tübingen and published in the journal Cell Reports.

    Multiresistant bacteria pose a growing threat to human health worldwide. Among them is a pathogen often found in hospitals – Staphylococcus aureus, which can cause severe inflammation and even sepsis. In its multiresistant form, MRSA can only be treated with great difficulty. The leader of the study, Andreas Peschel, says, “Antibiotics are our most important weapon against infections, but with increasing frequency we are seeing that they either are ineffective or cause too many side-effects.” He continues, “Phages, by contrast, are highly specific and can target and eliminate individual pathogens without disrupting the rest of the health-promoting microbiome of patients.”

    A foe’s enemy becomes a friend

    Phage therapy exploits the fact that bacteriophages specifically infect certain variants of bacteria, multiply within them, and ultimately destroy them. During this process, new bacteriophages are released which can combat further bacteria. The study’s first author, Janes Krusche of the Cluster of Excellence CMFI, explains, “Due to their specificity, however, they can no longer multiply once all the pathogenic bacteria have been killed.” One of the challenges of this therapy is choosing the suitable bacteriophages, he adds. Krusche is the primary developer of the new phage identification tool (Phage Aureus RBP Identification System; PhARIS). PhARIS identifies specific receptor-binding proteins in phage genetic material to determine their ability to infect particular Staphylococcus aure-us variants.

    Peschel and Krusche believe the tool has major potential to improve phage therapies for the treat-ment of infected wounds and infections associated with implants. The research team is planning to further develop the system for other pathogens. The objective is to make PhARIS a standard laboratory tool to identify phages quickly and effectively as a treatment alternative to antibiotics for many different bacterial infections.

    “Around the globe, infections caused by multiresistant germs are difficult to treat and one of the greatest medical challenges of our time. The new research results of the University of Tübingen Cluster of Excellence CMFI show impressively how essential basic research is in this area. In PhARIS, our researchers have developed an innovative tool which accelerates the selection of the suitable phages for future therapies. As a result, it creates a direct benefit for patients. These out-standing research results again underscore the internationally preeminent position of microbiology and infection biology at the University of Tübingen,” said Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. (Dōshisha) Karla Pollmann, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Tübingen.


    Contact for scientific information:

    Professor Dr. Andreas Peschel
    University of Tübingen
    Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT)
    Infection Biology
    Cluster of Excellence “Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections” (CMFI)
    Phone: +49 7071 29-75935
    andreas.peschel[at]uni-tuebingen.de

    Janes Krusche
    University of Tübingen
    Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT)
    Cluster of Excellence “Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections” (CMFI)
    Phone: +49 7071 29-72610
    janes.krusche[at]uni-tuebingen.de


    More information:

    http://Janes Krusche, Christian Beck, Esther Lehmann, David Gerlach, Ellen Daiber, Christoph Mayer, Jennifer Müller, Hadil Onallah, Silvia Würstle, Christiane Wolz, Andreas Peschel: Characterization and host range prediction of Staphylococcus aureus phages through receptor-binding protein analy-sis. Cell Reports, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2025.115369


    Images

    PhARIS (Phage Aureus RBP Identification System): A new tool for identifying specific phage receptor-binding proteins and predicting the ability to infect the bacterial pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. Exemplary presentation.
    PhARIS (Phage Aureus RBP Identification System): A new tool for identifying specific phage receptor- ...

    Dr. Johannes Richers and Dr. Christoph Kuehne (Jo Richers Studio), commissioned by University of Tü-bingen/CMFI


    Attachment
    attachment icon 2025-03-14_EN_Cell_Reports_Bacteriophages

    Criteria of this press release:
    Journalists
    Biology, Medicine
    transregional, national
    Research results
    English


     

    PhARIS (Phage Aureus RBP Identification System): A new tool for identifying specific phage receptor-binding proteins and predicting the ability to infect the bacterial pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. Exemplary presentation.


    For download

    x

    Help

    Search / advanced search of the idw archives
    Combination of search terms

    You can combine search terms with and, or and/or not, e.g. Philo not logy.

    Brackets

    You can use brackets to separate combinations from each other, e.g. (Philo not logy) or (Psycho and logy).

    Phrases

    Coherent groups of words will be located as complete phrases if you put them into quotation marks, e.g. “Federal Republic of Germany”.

    Selection criteria

    You can also use the advanced search without entering search terms. It will then follow the criteria you have selected (e.g. country or subject area).

    If you have not selected any criteria in a given category, the entire category will be searched (e.g. all subject areas or all countries).