Bacteriophage (anti-AIEC)

Class

Targeted bacteriophage therapy

Bacteriophages are viruses that infect and kill bacteria. Anti-AIEC phage therapy targets adherent-invasive Escherichia coli, a subtype of E. coli that attaches to and penetrates the gut lining and has been linked to Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel condition. Unlike antibiotics, which act broadly and can deplete many beneficial gut bacteria, phages are narrowly specific: each one recognizes particular surface structures on defined bacterial strains. A cocktail combines several phages with overlapping but distinct target ranges, covering genetic diversity among AIEC strains and lowering the chance that bacteria escape by mutating their surface receptors. After attaching, a phage injects its genetic material, redirects the bacterium's own machinery to produce new phage particles, and causes the cell to rupture, releasing progeny that can infect neighboring AIEC cells. The goal is to reduce AIEC abundance in the gut while sparing the wider microbiome, the community of bacteria that supports digestion, immune regulation, and maintenance of the intestinal barrier. This strategy is being explored in inflammatory bowel disease, where AIEC overgrowth is thought to contribute to mucosal injury and sustained immune activation.