Prophage-encoding engineered bacteria enable prophylactic lytic phage therapy for enteric infection in mice.

Prophage-encoding engineered E. coli provide prophylactic protection against Salmonella enterica Typhimurium infection in mice by producing high levels of lytic phage before infection.

• Why it matters: Enteric bacterial infections like Salmonella enterica Typhimurium are difficult to prevent with current therapies, and effective prophylactic strategies are needed to reduce infection risk and improve outcomes.
• What they did: Researchers engineered non-pathogenic E. coli to encode a prophage that produces obligately lytic phage targeting STm, overcoming host defenses, and demonstrated its ability to produce high phage levels and inhibit STm colonization in mouse models.
• The result: Prophylactic colonization with phage-producing E. coli reduced STm establishment, improved survival, and eliminated STm from the intestinal tract, providing a proof-of-concept for prophage-based prophylactic therapy.