Bacteriophage Antimicrobial Protein for Staphylococcus aureus
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing prevalence of multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains, including those resistant to methicillin, poses a significant challenge in treating infectious diseases, as conventional antibiotics have limited effectiveness and contribute to antibiotic resistance issues.
Innovation Solution
A novel antimicrobial protein with specific killing activity against Staphylococcus aureus is derived from a bacteriophage, which is genetically engineered for production and use, avoiding the risks associated with direct bacteriophage application, and is formulated into pharmaceutical compositions, cosmetics, and disinfectants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional antibiotics are used to treat Staphylococcus aureus infections, then treatment effectiveness is maintained against susceptible strains, but resistance development occurs leading to multi-drug resistant strains
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the antimicrobial protein from the bacteriophage structure to create a standalone therapeutic agent. The protein is isolated and characterized (SEQ ID NO: 19) to eliminate the need for whole phage administration, thereby achieving selective killing of S. aureus without the risks associated with live bacteriophage use while maintaining effectiveness against resistant strains
Solution Approach 2:
The antimicrobial protein acts as an intermediary between the bacteriophage's lytic capability and the target bacteria. It mediates the killing effect by specifically targeting S. aureus cell walls through its enzymatic activity on peptidoglycan, providing a controlled and specific antimicrobial action that avoids broad-spectrum antibiotic resistance
2Reliability
If bacteriophage is used directly for treatment, then specific killing activity against Staphylococcus aureus is achieved, but safety risks arise from using whole virus particles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the antimicrobial protein from the bacteriophage structure to create a standalone therapeutic agent. The protein is isolated and characterized (SEQ ID NO: 19) to eliminate the need for whole phage administration, thereby achieving selective killing of S. aureus without the risks associated with live bacteriophage use
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified copy of the bacteriophage's essential function by producing the antimicrobial protein through recombinant DNA technology. The gene encoding the protein is cloned into expression vectors and produced in host cells, creating a safe alternative that replicates the lytic activity without the complex viral structure
3Productivity
If antibiotics are used extensively to treat infections, then immediate treatment effectiveness is achieved, but multi-drug resistant strains develop over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the bacteriophage's natural lytic mechanism into a beneficial therapeutic tool by isolating its antimicrobial protein. This approach harnesses the evolutionary advantage of phage-bacteria specificity to create a treatment that targets S. aureus precisely, turning the potential harm of bacterial resistance into the benefit of highly specific protein-bacteria interaction that is difficult for bacteria to resist
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of antimicrobial therapy from small-molecule antibiotics to large-molecule proteins with enzymatic activity. This parameter change enables specific hydrolysis of peptidoglycan bonds in S. aureus cell walls, creating a mechanism of action that is fundamentally different from conventional antibiotics and thus effective against multi-drug resistant strains
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The antimicrobial protein effectively prevents and treats Staphylococcus aureus infections with reduced risk of resistance development, offering a safer and more effective alternative to conventional antibiotics, with broader spectrum activity and fewer side effects.
Implementation Method 1
The genetic material can be single stranded or double stranded DNA or RNA. To survive, bacteriophages need a host and every bacterium has a specific partner phage. When the bacteriophage invades into a host, it duplicates itself and then induces expressions of enzymes involved in the decomposition of cell wall of the host cell. The enzymes destroy the cell wall by attacking murein or peptidoglycan which is responsible for rigidity and mechanical strength of the cell wall.
Implementation Method 2
The present invention relates to a novel antimicrobial protein having killing activity (lytic activity, antimicrobial activity) specific to Staphylococcus aureus.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a novel bacteriophage-originated protein having antimicrobial activity, more precisely an antimicrobial protein originated from lytic bacteriophage having killing activity specific to Staphylococcus aureus which is the causing agent of infectious diseases in human and animals, a pharmaceutical composition for the prevention and treatment of the disease caused by Staphylococcus aureus, an antibiotic and a disinfectant containing the bacteriophage-originated antimicrobial protein as an active ingredient.