ArticleBMC microbiology2026
Characterization of broad-host-range bacteriophages targeting multidrug-resistant E. coli and Shigella spp.: in vitro potential.
Article in BMC microbiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundBacteriophage therapy is a promising strategy for treating multidrug-resistant bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, involved in urinary tract infections (UTIs), and Shigella spp., the main culprit in diarrheal diseases in children. Given these pathogens’ propensity for antibiotic resistance, phages offer a viable alternative, though challenges remain.
methodsA collection of 327 E. coli and 26 Shigella clinical isolates was tested for prophage induction with mitomycin C to exclude inducible phages prior to host range assessment. Six lytic bacteriophages were evaluated for their ability to lyse pathogenic isolates through double-layer plaque assays and bacterial growth kinetics at different multiplicities of infection (MOIs). Phage morphology was analysed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and genomes were sequenced and annotated.
resultsMost bacterial isolates were susceptible to at least one phage, with only 2.7% (8/297) resistant to all six. Phage FM10 was the most effective against E. coli, lysing 88.5% of isolates, while LF2 demonstrated the highest efficacy against Shigella spp., lysing 96% of isolates, followed by DP16. LF2 and DP16 inhibited the growth of antibiotic-resistant Shigella spp. isolates in 72 h, either alone or in combination. Whole-genome sequencing confirmed genome sizes between 163–169 kb and the absence of genes related to lysogeny, toxins, or antibiotic resistance. Phylogenetic and TEM analyses classified all six phages within the Straboviridae family. No significant correlation was found between antibiotic resistance and phage susceptibility (ρ = − 0.007, p = 0.91).
conclusionsThe identified lytic bacteriophages exhibit broad activity against clinical isolates of E. coli and Shigella spp., including antibiotic resistant strains, without carrying undesirable genetic elements. These findings support their potential use as safe biocontrol or therapeutic agents, contributing to the reduction of antibiotic use and the preservation of microbiota diversity in future phage therapy applications.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.