# Patent

## Title
Phage therapy

## Abstract

The present invention relates to bacteriophage therapy. More particularly, the present invention relates to novel bacteriophages having a high specificity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains, their manufacture, components thereof, compositions comprising the same and the uses thereof in phage therapy.

## Background
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/524,271, filed May 4, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,898,530, which is the U.S. national stage application of International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2015/075949, filed Nov. 6, 2015.
The Sequence Listing for this application is labeled “Seq-List.txt” which was created on Apr. 26, 2017 and is 465 KB. The entire content of the sequence listing is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present invention relates to novel bacteriophage compositions, their manufacture and the uses thereof. The invention is particularly suited for the treatment of an infection in a mammal particularly in the respiratory system.


BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Bacteriophages (or phages) are small viruses displaying the ability to infect and kill bacteria while they do not affect cells from other organisms. Initially described almost a century ago by William Twort, and independently discovered shortly thereafter by Félix d'Herelle, more than 6000 different bacteriophages have been discovered so far and described morphologically, including bacterial and archeal viruses. The vast majority of these viruses are tailed while a small proportion are polyhedral, filamentous or pleomorphic. They may be classified according to their morphology, their genetic content (DNA vs. RNA), their specific host, the place where they live (marine virus vs. other habitats), and their life cycle. As intra-cellular parasites of bacterial cells, phages display different life cycles within the bacterial host: lytic, lysogenic, pseudo-lysogenic, and chronic infection (Weinbauer, 2004; Drulis-Kawa, 2012). Lytic phages cause lysis of the host bacterial cell as a normal part of their life cycles. Lysogenic phages (also termed temperate phages) can either replicate by means of the lytic life cycle and cause lysis of the host bacterium, or they can incorporate their DNA into the host bacterial DNA and become noninfectious prophages. Whatever the type of cycle of a phage, the first step is the attachment to receptors of the bacterial cell wall before phage material may enter the bacteria. This specific process influences the spectrum of the possible phage-bacteria interactions.
Bacteriophages are commonly used as research tools to modify bacteria in laboratory experiments.
Because of their target host cell specificity, the use of phages as a therapy to treat acute and chronic infections has been considered, particularly in dermatology, ophthalmology, urology, stomatology, pediatrics, otolaryngology or surgery. This concept of therapeutic use of phages to treat bacterial infection was, however, highly controversial from the very beginning and not widely accepted by the public or medical community. Early studies were widely criticized for lack of appropriate controls and inconsistent results. The lack of reproducibility and many conflicting results obtained in the various published studies led the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry of the American Medical Association to conclude that the evidence for the therapeutic value of lytic filtrates was for the most part contradictory, unconvincing, and recommended additional research to confirm its purported benefits.
Since the introduction of antibiotics in the 1940s, little attention was paid to this field of therapeutics, especially in the Western world. But the extensive use of antibiotics has led to the widespread emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria around the world, causing increasingly serious problems. It has therefore become a major therapeutic challenge to overcome the limited therapeutic options remaining to treat major multi-drug resistant microbes.
Since its initial discovery in the late 19th century (Fordos 1859), the Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa has gained a notorious place in the list of infamous human pathogens (Williams and al, 1894, Freeman and al, 1916). The arrival of the antibiotic era largely palliated the previously fatal outcome of acute infections in healthy patients. Only a relative improvement has been achieved in the eradication of chronic infections, which develop mainly in individuals suffering from cystic fibrosis or severe burns or who are immunocompromised (Gang et al, 1999, Jones and al, 2010). Two intrinsically related factors in the fatal outcome of infection in these patients are the rapid prescription of inappropriate antibiotic treatments and the development or acquisition of multidrug-resistant strains. While the use of (an) appropriate antibiotic(s) has been reported as an essential factor in the eradication of P. aeruginosa infections (Kang and al, 2005, Micek and al, 2005), conversely, antibiotic abuse significantly contributes to increasing resistance by exerting a continuous selective pressure for the acquisition of such capabilities. Antibiotics alone do not account for the high prevalence of multidrug-resistant variants: P. aeruginosa has multiple, chromosomally encoded intrinsic mechanisms of resistance, including low permeability of the cell envelope and numerous multidrug efflux pumps. Another major factor accounting for the successful invasive behavior and persistence of this bacterium is its high adaptability, allowing rapid colonization of different environments.
Furthermore, pathogenic bacteria such as P. aeruginosa are able to form biofilms, which contribute to their increased resistance to antibiotics. Such biofilms may comprise more than one type of bacteria supported and surrounded by an excreted extracellular matrix, and assist bacteria to colonize various surfaces. Biofilms allow bacteria to attach to surfaces and to reach population densities which would otherwise be unsupportable, imparting increased resistance to not only antibiotics but many environmental stresses including toxins such as heavy metals, bleaches and other cleaning agents. It is known that bacteria within biofilms can be 100 to 1000 times more resistant to antibiotics than the same strain of bacteria growing in planktonic forms. Such an increased resistance means that bacteria that are apparently sensitive to antibiotics in a laboratory test may be resistant to therapy in a clinical setting. Even if some are cleared, biofilms may provide resistant reservoirs permitting rapid colonization once antibiotics are no longer present. It is therefore obvious that biofilms are major factors in many human diseases. Chemical treatments are unsuited to use against biofilms since this is precisely what they have evolved to counter. Physical abrasion does provide a mean to disrupt biofilms. Unfortunately, many surfaces where biofilms supports bacterial pathogenesis are poorly suited to rigorous abrasion, i.e. bones, joints, implanted medical devices, etc. For example, the surfaces of wounds or burns are extremely sensitive and delicate. Even where abrasion is both suitable and in routine use, clearing of biofilms is limited. Oral plaque on the surface of teeth is a biofilm and is partially cleared by regular brushing. However, bacteria are maintained on unbrushed surfaces (for example in the gaps between teeth) and can recolonize cleared surfaces both rapidly and effectively. From this, it is clear that existing approaches to clearing biofilms are of limited efficacy.
The capability for quick adaptation and their ability to form biofilms are the main reasons that identify P. aeruginosa as opportunistic pathogens. They have acquired the status of hospital pathogens, and may be isolated from clinical samples taken from the wounds, sputum, bladder, urethra, vagina, ears, eyes and respiratory tract. The emergence of resistance to the most powerful new antibiotics in such clinical P. aeruginosa strains, occurring even during treatment, makes the fight with P. aeruginosa hospital pathogens a great problem.
Therefore, there is a great need for new antibacterial agents or compositions that can be used to destroy P. aeruginosa strains, even when organized in bacterial biofilms, suitable for use in human or animal therapy, as well, as for decontaminating materials.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The inventors have isolated and characterized new bacteriophages presenting strong and specific lytic activity to Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) strains. These bacteriophages, especially is combinations, provide very potent antibacterial effect and can be used as active agents in pharmaceutical or veterinary preparations, particularly to treat P. aeruginosa bacterial infections.
An object of the invention is to provide antibacterial compositions comprising at least two bacteriophages having lytic activity against a Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) strain, said at least two bacteriophages being selected from the bacteriophages having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of anyone of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 7 or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto.
A further object of the invention relates to a bacteriophage having lytic activity to a Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) strain and having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence selected from anyone of SEQ ID NOs: 2 to 7 or a sequence having at least 95% identity thereto.
The bacteriophages of the invention exhibit strong lytic activity to multi drug resistant strains of P. aeruginosa, in particular to antibiotic-resistant pathogenic strains such as cephalosporinase-, carbenicillinases-, carbapenemase- and/or extended-spectrum β-lactamases-resistant strains, and are therefore particularly suitable and advantageous to treat bacterial infections.
The invention further concerns an isolated nucleic acid molecule contained in a bacteriophage of the invention, preferably an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence selected from anyone of SEQ ID NOs: 2 to 7 or a sequence having at least 95% identity thereto, as well as an isolated polypeptide encoded by said nucleic acid.
Another object of the invention is a composition comprising a nucleic acid or polypeptide as defined above.
The compositions of the invention typically further comprise a pharmaceutically or veterinary acceptable excipient or carrier. They may be liquid, semi-liquid, solid or lyophilized.
Another object of the invention relates to a bacteriophage, nucleic acid, polypeptide or composition as defined above, for use in the treatment of an infection in a mammal, for modifying the microbial flora in a mammal, for decontaminating a material and/or for killing a P. aeruginosa bacterium or for compromising the integrity of a bacterial biofilm.
The invention also relates to a bacteriophage, nucleic acid, polypeptide or composition as defined above, for use to improve a subject condition by modifying the microbial flora in said subject. The microbial flora may be modified by correcting, adapting or restoring a proper balance of microorganisms in said flora.
The invention also relates to a method for treating an infection in a mammal, comprising the administration to said mammal of at least one bacteriophage, nucleic acid, polypeptide or composition as defined above.
The invention also relates to a method for treating a surface or material suspected of being contaminated with a P. aeruginosa bacterium, comprising applying to said surface or material at least one bacteriophage, nucleic acid, polypeptide or composition as defined above. The surface or material may be a surface of any device, vessel or laboratory material, cloth, etc.
A further object of the invention relates to a kit comprising a composition as defined above and a means for applying the same to a subject or surface.
The invention may be used in any mammal, preferably in human beings, or to treat any material, including laboratory materials or medical devices.



BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1: Efficacy of bacteriophage 1384 on PAO1 strain.
FIG. 2: Efficacy of bacteriophage 1777 on PAO1 strain.
FIG. 3: Efficacy of bacteriophage 1792 on PAO1 strain.
FIG. 4: Efficacy of bacteriophage 1797 on PAO1 strain.
FIG. 5: Efficacy of bacteriophage 1800 on PAO1 strain.
FIG. 6: Efficacy of bacteriophage 1902 on PAO1 strain.
FIG. 7: Efficacy of bacteriophage cocktail on PAO1 strain.
FIG. 8: Efficacy of bacteriophage cocktail on CF1 strain.
FIG. 9: Efficacy of bacteriophage cocktail on CF2 strain.
FIG. 10: Efficacy of bacteriophage cocktail on CF3 strain.



DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to novel bacteriophages, components thereof, compositions comprising the same, their manufacture, and the uses thereof as antibacterial agents, particularly for the treatment of an infection in a mammal or for improving a subject condition by modifying the microbial flora in said subject.
Definitions
To facilitate understanding of the invention, a number of terms are defined below.
As used herein, the term “bacteriophage” or “phage” refers to a functional phage particle comprising a nucleic acid genome packaged in a proteinaceous envelope or capsid. The term also refers to portions of the bacteriophage, including, e.g., a head portion, or an assembly of phage components, which provide substantially the same functional activity.
The term “phenotypic characteristic” designates more preferably the morphology and/or host-range of a bacteriophage. Methods for phenotyping bacteriophages are well known per se in the part and include, for example, determining bacterial host range and/or activity against the biofilm produced by certain bacterial strains.
The term “lytic activity” as used in the invention designates the property of a bacteriophage to cause lysis of a bacterial cell. The lytic activity of a bacteriophage can be tested on P. aeruginosa strains according to techniques known per se in the art (see also experimental section).
The term “variant” of a reference bacteriophage designates a bacteriophage having variation(s) in the genomic sequence and/or polypeptide(s) encoded thereby as compared to said reference bacteriophage, while retaining the same phenotypic characteristic as the reference bacteriophage. Variants typically comprise e.g., silent mutations, conservative mutations, minor deletions, and/or minor replications of genetic material, and retain phenotypic characteristics of the reference bacteriophage. In a preferred embodiment, variants according to the invention retain any observable characteristic or property that is dependent upon the genome of the bacteriophage of the invention, i.e. phenotypic characteristics of said bacteriophage and/or lytic activity against the P. aeruginosa strains. Preferred variants have less than 5% nucleic acid variation as compared to the genome of the reference bacteriophage, even more preferably less than 4%, more preferably less than 2%. Alternatively, or in combination, variants have preferably less than 5% amino acid variation in a coded polypeptide sequence as compared to a polypeptide of the reference bacteriophage.
The terms “ESBL P. aeruginosa strain” refers to cephalosporinase and/or extended-spectrum β-lactamases producing P. aeruginosa strains, including various forms of antibiotic resistance such as AmpC β-lactamase or Class A carbenicillin hydrolyzing β-lactamases, etc.
The term “specific” or “specificity” in relation to a bacteriophage refers to the type of host that said bacteriophage is able to infect. A bacteriophage “specific” for P. aeruginosa more preferably designates a bacteriophage which can infect one or several P. aeruginosa strains and which cannot infect non-P. aeruginosa bacteria under physiological conditions.
As used herein, the term “polypeptide” refers to polypeptides of any size, including small peptides of e.g., from 5 to 20 amino acids, longer polypeptides, proteins or fragments thereof.
The term “PLE” or “Productive Lytic Effect” designates the ratio between burst size and productive lytic time of a given bacteriophage. Burst size and productive lytic time are parameters defining phage-host interaction and correspond, respectively, to the mean yield of bacteriophage particles produced by infection of one bacterium by one phage, and to the time taken by a free bacteriophage to lyse a bacterial cell.
In the context of the present specification, the term “isolated bacteriophage” should be considered to mean a bacteriophage removed from its natural environment and/or separated from a component of its natural environment. The term designates, particularly, a phage that is e.g., cultivated in vitro, purified, and/or formulated with any suitable diluent or excipient. In relation to a nucleic acid or polypeptide, the term “isolated” designates e.g., a nucleic acid molecule or polypeptide which is separated from at least one component of its natural environment such as, e.g., a protein, lipid, and/or nucleic acid.
The terms “pharmaceutically or veterinary acceptable” as used herein refers to any material (e.g., carrier, excipient or diluent) that is compatible for use in a mammalian subject. Such includes physiologically acceptable solutions or vehicles that are harmless or do not cause any significant specific or non-specific immune reaction to an organism or do not abrogate the biological activity of the active compound. For formulation of the composition into a liquid preparation, saline, sterile water, Ringer's solution, buffered physiological saline, albumin infusion solution, dextrose solution, maltodextrin solution, glycerol, ethanol, and mixtures thereof may be used as a pharmaceutically or veterinary acceptable excipient or carrier. If necessary, other conventional additives such as thickeners, diluents, buffers, preservatives, surface active agents, antioxidants and bacteriostatic agents may be added. Further, diluents, dispersants, surfactants, binders and lubricants may be additionally added to the composition to prepare injectable formulations such as aqueous solutions, suspensions, and emulsions, oral formulations such as pills, capsules, granules, or tablets, or powdered formulations.
As used herein, “PFU” means plaque forming unit, as it is well defined in the art. Lytic bacteriophages lyse the host cell, causing a zone of clearing (or plaque) on a culture plate. Theoretically, each plaque is formed by one phage and the number of plaques multiplied by the dilution factor is equal to the total number of phages in a test preparation.
The term “treatment” or “therapy” designates a curative or a prophylactic treatment of a disease. A curative treatment is defined as a treatment that results in a cure of a disease, or a treatment that alleviates, reduces, stabilizes, or eliminates the symptoms of a disease or the suffering that it causes, directly or indirectly, or that improves a subject condition or reduces progression of a disease. A prophylactic treatment comprises a treatment resulting in the prevention of a disease, and/or a treatment reducing and/or delaying the incidence of a disease or the risk of its occurrence.
The term “biofilm” as used herein designates a heterogeneous bacterial formation growing on various surfaces; preferably a bacterial community growing embedded in an exopolysaccharide matrix adhered onto solid biological or non-biological surfaces.
The term “compromise” as used herein refers to any alteration of the integrity. By compromising a bacterial biofilm, it is understood a penetration of the biofilm by bacteriophage, an infection of biofilm-associated bacteria and/or a lysis thereof and/or a partial or an entire clearing of the biofilm (i.e., by stopping colonization and/or disrupting biofilms).
The term “sample”, as used herein, means any sample containing cells. Examples of such samples include body fluids such as blood, plasma, saliva, or urine, as well as biopsies, organs, tissues or cell samples. The sample may be treated prior to its use.
As used herein, the term “subject” or “patient” refers to an animal, preferably a mammal, even more preferably a human, including adult and child. The term “subject” also encompasses non-human animals, in particular non-human mammals such as pets (e.g., dogs, cats), horses, cows, goats, pigs, sheep and non-human primates, among others.
The term “efficacy” of treatment or “response” to a bacteriophage therapy as used herein refers to a treatment which results in a decrease in the number of P. aeruginosa strains in a subject after bacteriophage treatment when compared to the number of P. aeruginosa strains before treatment. A “good responder” subject refers to a subject who shows or will show a clinically significant recovery when treated with a bacteriophage therapy.
The term “Cocktail” of bacteriophages designates a combination of different types of bacteriophages. The bacteriophages in a cocktail are preferably formulates together in a same vessel or packaging, although they may be used as kits of parts wherein some of the bacteriophages are formulated or packaged separately and combined when used or administered.
Description of Embodiments
The present invention is related to novel bacteriophage therapies. More particularly, the present invention relates to novel bacteriophages having a high specificity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains, their manufacture, components thereof, compositions comprising the same and the uses thereof in phage therapy.
Bacteriophages:
In a first aspect, the invention discloses the isolation and characterization of novel bacteriophages that are specific for P. aeruginosa strains and present, either alone or in combination(s), remarkable host range spectrum of lytic activity. These bacteriophages have been selected from environmental samples, isolated, sequenced, and characterized. They are, individually and in combination(s), active against P. aeruginosa strains. They are remarkably effective against pathogenic P. aeruginosa strains, including antibiotic-resistant P. aeruginosa strains such as an ESBL P. aeruginosa strain. Furthermore, bacteriophages of the invention have a remarkable productive lytic effect (“PLE”) comprised between 1 and 7. In addition, the bacteriophages of the invention are specific for P. aeruginosa strains, i.e., they do not cause lysis of non-P. aeruginosa bacteria. As will be illustrated further, the invention shows that these bacteriophages can be combined and formulated in conditions suitable for use as pharmaceutical or veterinary agents to exhibit targeted and very potent antibacterial effect against a controlled spectrum of P. aeruginosa strains.
More specifically, the following bacteriophages have been isolated. Their corresponding nucleic acid sequence is also indicated.










TABLE 1







SEQ ID
Bacteriophage









SEQ ID NO: 1
BP1384



SEQ ID NO: 2
BP1777



SEQ ID NO: 3
BP1792



SEQ ID NO: 4
BP1797



SEQ ID NO: 5
BP1800



SEQ ID NO: 6
BP1902



SEQ ID NO: 7
BP1940










The lytic profile of these bacteriophages has been determined on a broad number of P. aeruginosa strains. These bacteriophages have been selected for their potency and combination potential, as disclosed in the following table. In this table, the lytic effect of the bacteriophages on reference and pathogen-resistant strains are presented, confirming their high lytic potential.








TABLE 2








Phage














Strain
1384
1777
1792
1797
1800
1902
1940





LMG 24882
+
+
pm
+
+
+
−


LMG 24886
+
+
−
−
−
+
+


LMG 24887
+
pm
+
+
+
pm
+


LMG 24891
+
+
+
+
+
+
−


LMG 24892
+
+
+
+
+
pm
+


LMG 24893
+
pm
+
+
+
+
+


LMG 24896
+
+
+
+
+
+
pm


LMG 24901
pm
−
+
+
+
−
pm


LMG 24903
−
pm
+
+
+
−
+


LMG 24904
pm
−
+
+
+
+
−


LMG 24905
−
−
pm
+
+
pm
−


LMG 24907
−
−
+
+
+
−
−


LMG 24909
+
+
+
+
+
+
pm


LMG 24913
−
−
+
+
−
+
pm


LMG 24914
−
−
+
+
+
−
+


LMG 24916
−
−
+
+
+
−
+





pm: partial lysis






As can be seen from table 2, combinations (or cocktails) of these bacteriophages may be produced that are able to kill all of the tested P. aeruginosa strains, thereby producing broad spectrum antibacterial compositions. As an illustrative example, a cocktail of all of the 7 bacteriophages can kill all tested bacteria.
Moreover, the specificity of the bacteriophages has been tested on many non-P. aeruginosa strains. More particularly, the experimental section demonstrates that the bacteriophages of the invention have no lytic effect on any bacteria selected from Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumanii, Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterobacter asburiae, Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Stenotrophomonas maltophila and Serratia marcescens. These bacteriophages, alone or in combination(s), thus represent potent agents for treating P. aeruginosa infections.
A particular object of the invention thus resides in a bacteriophage having lytic activity to a P. aeruginosa strain and having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence selected from anyone of SEQ ID NOs: 2 to 7 or a sequence having at least 95% identity thereto, preferably at least 96%, 97%, 98% or 99% identity thereto.
The bacteriophages of the invention may be cultured, expanded, isolated, purified, and used in e.g., phage therapy of P. aeruginosa-mediated disorders, as will be disclosed in more details below. Furthermore, variants of these bacteriophages retaining a phenotypic (e.g., specificity and lytic activity) of the bacteriophages can be produced and/or isolated by techniques known per se in the art.
The bacteriophages of the invention can be prepared by standard culture, isolation and purification methods. For example, P. aeruginosa producing bacteria are cultured, infected by a sample of a bacteriophage, and then treated to remove bacterial cells and debris. The enriched bacteriophage solution can be plated in a medium, for example agar medium, with embedded susceptible host strains of P. aeruginosa to obtain plaques. Then, single plaque can be picked out for subsequent bacteriophage purification and amplification. One or more cycles of selective amplification of bacteriophages of the invention may be performed, for example by mixing bacteriophages with the competent P. aeruginosa, followed by addition of a growth medium and incubation at selected test growing conditions. Following centrifugation, the cleared amplified supernatant is filtered through filter and subjected to another cycle of selective amplification or tested for presence of lytic activity.
The titer of phage in a suspension and the visualization of plaque morphology of bacteriophages of the invention may then be assessed by known methods, for example by plaque counting. Additionally, processing bacteriophages of the invention in various forms (liquid, lyophilized, etc.) for short-, long-, freeze- or any other kind of storage can be carried out by any suitable method as it is well-known in the art (see e.g., Clark, 1962).
The activity of the bacteriophages of the invention can be assessed by methods well-known in the art, such as plaque assay also known as double agar method, based on the growing of bacteriophage with potential host bacteria and followed by assessing their ability to kill the host bacterial cell. In the plaque assay method, the bacteriophage induces lysis of target P. aeruginosa strains after a period of incubation in soft agar medium, resulting in zones of clearing on the plate known as plaques.
Nucleic Acids and Polypeptides
The invention relates to a nucleic acid contained in a bacteriophage of the invention, or any fragment of such a nucleic acid. The term fragment designates, more preferably, a fragment containing (or consisting of) an open reading frame. The nucleic acid may be DNA or RNA, single- or double-stranded.
The nucleic acid can be isolated from the deposited bacteriophages, or produced using recombinant DNA technology (e.g., polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification, cloning), enzymatic or chemical synthesis, or combinations thereof, according to general techniques known per se in the art. Also included are homologous sequences and fragments thereof including, but not limited to, natural allelic variants and modified nucleic acid sequences in which nucleotides have been inserted, deleted, substituted, and/or inverted.
In a particular embodiment, the invention relates to a nucleic acid comprising a sequence selected from anyone of SEQ ID NOs: 2-7, or a sequence having at least 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99% or more sequence identity to anyone of SEQ ID NOs: 2-7.
The nucleic acid of the invention can be in free form, or cloned in a vector, such as a plasmid, viral vector, expression cassette, cosmid, etc.
In a further aspect, the invention also relates to an isolated polypeptide encoded by a nucleic acid sequence as defined above, preferably a nucleic acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 4, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 6, or SEQ ID NO: 7. The polypeptide(s) may be produced by techniques known per se in the art such as synthesis, recombinant technology, or combinations thereof. The polypeptides may be isolated or purified, and used as antibacterial agents or as reagents for in vitro analyses.
Compositions of the Invention
One aspect of the invention relates to compositions comprising at least one bacteriophage as described above, more preferably at least 2 or more and, optionally, a pharmaceutically or veterinary acceptable excipient. As described, the bacteriophages of the invention have very potent lytic activity against P. aeruginosa strains. Combinations of these bacteriophages may be produced to expand the host spectrum and produce highly effective antibacterial compositions.
More particularly, the invention relates to an antibacterial composition comprising at least two bacteriophages having lytic activity against a Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) strain, said at least two bacteriophages being selected from the bacteriophages having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of anyone of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 7 or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto.
In a preferred embodiment, the compositions of the invention comprise at least three, even more preferably at least four distinct bacteriophages selected from the bacteriophages having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of anyone of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 7 or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto.
Particular compositions of the invention comprise at least a bacteriophage having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 or 4, or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto.
Specific examples of compositions of the invention comprise:

    
    
        a bacteriophage having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto, and a bacteriophage having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto;
        a bacteriophage having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto, and a bacteriophage having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4 or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto;
        a bacteriophage having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto, and a bacteriophage having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5 or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto;
        a bacteriophage having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto, and a bacteriophage having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4 or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto;
        a bacteriophage having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto, and a bacteriophage having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5 or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto;
        a bacteriophage having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto, and a bacteriophage having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto, and a bacteriophage having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4 or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto;
        a bacteriophage having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto, and a bacteriophage having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto, and a bacteriophage having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4 or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto, and a bacteriophage having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5 or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto.
    
    


In a preferred embodiment, the compositions of the invention comprise at least:

    
    
        a bacteriophage having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto;
        a bacteriophage having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto;
        a bacteriophage having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto;
        a bacteriophage having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4 or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto;
        a bacteriophage having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5 or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto;
        a bacteriophage having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6 or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto; and
        a bacteriophage having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7 or a sequence having at least 90% identity thereto.
    
    


The compositions of the invention may further comprise additional antibacterial agents, particularly other bacteriophages having distinct host specificity.
Most preferred compositions of the invention are lytic against more that 85% of all bacterial strains of the LMG collection obtained from the BCCM/LMG Bacteria Collection. This collection contains a vast number of strains with a high genetic diversity among the bacterial species.
The compositions of the invention may comprise any effective amount of the selected bacteriophage(s). Preferably, they comprise between 10e4 and 10e12 PFU of each of said bacteriophages, preferably between 10e5 and 10e10. PFU. The relative amounts of each type of bacteriophage in a composition of the invention may be adjusted by a skilled artisan. Typically, When the antibacterial composition comprises several (n) distinct bacteriophages as defined above, the total relative amount % A of each bacteriophage in the composition is more preferably % A=(100/ni)×V, wherein ni represents the number of distinct types of bacteriophages and V is a variability factor comprised between 0.2 and 5. Most preferably, V is comprised between 0.3 and 3, even more preferably between 0.5 and 2, generally between 0.8 and 1.5. In a preferred typical embodiment, each type of bacteriophage is present in a composition of the invention in approximately equal relative amounts.
The antibacterial compositions of the invention may be in various forms, such as liquid, semi-liquid, solid or lyophilized formulations. The compositions of the invention preferably comprise a suitable diluent or carrier, such as a pharmaceutically or veterinary acceptable excipient or carrier. Compositions according to the present invention may include any excipient or carrier, such as thickeners, diluents, buffers, preservatives, surface active agents and the like, in addition to the bacteriophage(s) of choice. Such includes physiologically acceptable solutions or vehicles that are harmless or do not cause any significant specific or non-specific immune reaction to an organism or do not abrogate the biological activity of the bacteriophage. For liquid formulation, saline, sterile water, Ringer's solution, buffered physiological saline, albumin infusion solution, dextrose solution, maltodextrin solution, glycerol, ethanol, and mixtures thereof may be used as a pharmaceutically or veterinary acceptable excipient or carrier. If appropriate, other conventional additives such as thickeners, diluents, buffers, preservatives, surface active agents, antioxidants and bacteriostatic agents may be added. Further, diluents, dispersants, surfactants, binders and lubricants may be additionally added to the composition to prepare injectable formulations such as aqueous solutions, suspensions, and emulsions, oral formulations such as pills, capsules, granules, or tablets, or powdered formulations. Formulations for topical administration may include, band aids, dressings, patches, films, ointments, lotions, creams, gels, drops, suppositories, sprays, tampons, sanitary towels, liquids and powders. Formulations for decontamination or for medical use may also include aerosols or sprays.
The compositions of the invention may be used in the medical field, including the human or veterinary medical areas, for e.g. the treatment of an infection in a mammal or for improving a subject's condition. The compositions may be used to kill P. aeruginosa bacteria in an organism, for treating an infection. The composition may also be used for improving the condition of a mammal by modifying the microbial flora in said mammal. In particular, the compositions of the invention can specifically remove P. aeruginosa strains on the skin or mucous membranes of a mammal, thus modifying its microbial flora and restoring a proper balance.
In a particular embodiment, the invention also relates to a method for treating an infection in a mammal comprising the administration to said mammal of a composition or bacteriophage or nucleic acid or polypeptide as defined above.
The invention also relates to the use of a composition, bacteriophage, nucleic acid or polypeptide as described for the manufacture of a medicament for treating an infection in a mammal, or for restoring microbial flora in said mammal.
The compositions of the invention may be used to treat various P. aeruginosa-mediated infections, particularly of the respiratory system. The number of patients with pneumonia reached 2 to 3 million in USA and 3 to 4 million in Europe, in 2013. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the major microbiological agents responsible for the pathology, especially in the young children and elderly populations, as well as, in immunocompromised, cystic fibrosis, high burn and poly-traumatized patients. Although epidemiological sources fluctuate and albeit a recent increase of gram-negative infections (including P. aeruginosa), estimations for 2014 indicate that at least 15% of pneumonia are caused by P. aeruginosa (e.g., 15.9% according to the ECDC Annual Surveillance Report—2013). From a conservative stand point, about 20% of these germs are resistant to several or all the antibiotics from our therapeutic arsenal (remarkably, the highest number or resistant cases is being observed in intensive care unit: See Worldwide Website: infectio-lille.com/diaporamas/DUAC/pyo-DUAC09-Cattoen.pdf). As a consequence, estimated figures indicate that at least 90 000 pneumonia cases in USA and 120 000 in Europe are induced by antibiotic multi-resistant P. aeruginosa bacterial strains. The invention is thus particularly suited for treating pneumonia associated with, or caused by, P. aeruginosa infection. An object of the invention thus resides in a method of treating pneumonia in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering a composition of the invention to said subject. The method is particularly suited for treating pneumonia induced by antibiotic-resistant P. aeruginosa bacteria. The subject may be any human subject, such as children, adults or elderly people.
The compositions of the invention may be administered by any convenient route, including intravenous, oral, transdermal, subcutaneous, mucosal, intramuscular, intrapulmonary, intranasal, parenteral, rectal, vaginal and topical. In a preferred embodiment, the bacteriophages or compositions are administered by intrapulmonary or intranasal instillation. The compositions may be administered directly or indirectly, e.g., via a support. In this regard, the compositions may, for example, be applied or sprayed to the afflicted area. Compositions of the invention can also be administered by oral or parenteral routes. The dosage suitable for applying, spraying, or administrating the compositions of the present invention can be adjusted by the skilled person depending on a variety of factors including formulation, mode of administration, age, weight, sex, condition, diet of the mammal being treated at the time of administration, route of administration, and reaction sensitivity. A physician having ordinary skills in the art can readily determine and prescribe the effective amount of the composition required.
The dosing can also be adjusted by the skilled person so that a lytic activity against antibiotic-resistant P. aeruginosa strains is obtained. An efficient dose to obtain a lytic activity in vivo typically includes a concentration of at least 10e4 PFU/ml, preferably from about 10e2 to 10e12 PFU/ml, depending on the administration route.
As shown in the experimental section, the bacteriophages and compositions of the invention are able to selectively kill P. aeruginosa bacteria in vitro or in vivo. The compositions can destroy mixtures of different P. aeruginosa bacteria, even in vivo, even at low dosage. Furthermore, the compositions of the invention are effective is killing bacteria embedded in biofilms, which is particularly important for pathogenic bacteria. Also, the compositions and bacteriophages of the invention are strictly unable to affect mammalian cells, and are therefore specific and devoid of side effects in vivo.
The invention also relates to the use of a composition, bacteriophage, nucleic acid or polypeptide of the invention for decontaminating a material. Due to their potent antibacterial effect, and to their ability to even compromise the integrity of a bacterial biofilm, the compositions of the invention can be used as decontaminating agent, to eliminate or at least cause a reduction in bacterial numbers on a material. Such methods may be applied for the treatment of a variety of biological or non-biological surfaces in both medical and non-medical contexts, including solid materials or devices such as, for example, contact lenses, surfaces of devices to be implanted into the body, pipes, ducts, laboratory vessels, textiles, etc.
Diagnostic/Predictive Tests of the Invention:
The invention also concerns a method for predicting or determining the efficacy of a bacteriophage therapy in a subject, wherein the method comprises a step of determining a lytic activity of one or more bacteriophages of the invention to a P. aeruginosa strain from a sample from said subject, such a lytic activity being indicative of an efficient treatment. In a preferred aspect, the method further optionally comprises a step of treating said subject by one or more bacteriophages having a lytic activity to a P. aeruginosa strain from a sample of said subject.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method for selecting a subject or determining whether a subject is susceptible to benefit from a bacteriophage therapy, wherein the method comprises the step of determining a lytic activity of one or more bacteriophages of the invention to a P. aeruginosa strain from a sample of said subject, a lytic activity of one or more bacteriophages of the invention to at least one P. aeruginosa strain indicating a responder subject.
Another object of the invention relates to a method for predicting the response of a subject to a bacteriophage therapy, wherein the method comprises the step of determining a lytic activity of one or more bacteriophage of the invention to a P. aeruginosa strain from a sample of said subject, a lytic activity of one or more bacteriophage of the invention to at least one P. aeruginosa strain being indicative of a good response to said therapy.
Further aspects and advantages of the invention will be disclosed in the following experimental section, which is illustrative only.
EXAMPLES
Materials and Methods
Host Range Determination.
The host ranges of bacteriophages were determined among a collection of 20 P. aeruginosa from the LMG collection. 109 bacterial cells were mixed with melted agar and this mixture was poured on solid agar to make double layer agar plates. After solidification, isolated bacteriophage stock solutions were spotted on each plate with different bacterium strain. After allowing 20 min for the spots to be absorbed, the plates were inverted and incubated for 24 h at 37° C. before the degree of lysis was recorded (Postic, 1961; Yang, 2010).
Sequencing, Analysis and Annotation of Phage Genomes.
To isolate phage DNA, phages were propagated as described above. Phage DNA was isolated by extraction with phenol:chloroform:isoamyl alcohol (25:24:1, V/V), ethanol precipitation and resolution in water. Whole genome sequencing was done and the BLAST algorithm was used to determine the similarity to described genes in the National Center for Biotechnology Information [NCBI] database. The genomes were scanned for potential open reading frames (ORFs).
Example 1: Bacteriophage Isolation
Bacteriophages were isolated from environmental samples. Multi Drug Resistant (MDR) P. aeruginosa bacteria were used for isolating and enriching each virulent bacteriophage from environmental water. More particularly, environmental samples and overnight culture of bacteria in Luria Bertani (LB) were mixed and incubated at 37° C. for 24 h with shaking to enrich specific bacteriophages. At the end of incubation, drops of chloroform were added to the culture. The culture was spun down at 11,000 g for 5 minutes to remove bacterial cells and debris. The supernatant was subjected to 0.2 μm filter to remove the residual bacterial cells. The enriched phage solution was plated on LB agar medium with P. aeruginosa embedded. Plaques formed on the plates after 24 h incubation at 37° C. Single plaque was picked out for subsequent phage purification and amplification. The phage was then stored at 4° C. in a suspension in LB broth or physiological saline.
The titer of phage in a suspension was estimated by plaque counting (Postic, 1961). Ten-fold dilutions of a suspension were delivered on a dried lawn of the propagating strain. The plates were read after overnight incubation. The plaque-counting method also permitted visualization of plaque morphology.
7 highly active bacteriophages were selected. Their sequences were determined and are provided in the present application, in accordance with the following table:










TABLE 1







SEQ ID
Bacteriophage









SEQ ID NO: 1
BP1384



SEQ ID NO: 2
BP1777



SEQ ID NO: 3
BP1792



SEQ ID NO: 4
BP1797



SEQ ID NO: 5
BP1800



SEQ ID NO: 6
BP1902



SEQ ID NO: 7
BP1940










The activity of the bacteriophages, alone or in combination, was further tested in different models and conditions as described in the following examples.
Example 2: Bacteriophage Host Characteristics and Kinetics
One-step growth experiments were carried out according to the previous descriptions to determine first the productive lytic time, adsorption rate, and then the phage burst size. To determine the adsorption rate samples were taken at different time intervals to analyze the free phage particles in the solutions. For productive time and phage burst size determination, P. aeruginosa bacteria were mixed with phages solutions and phages were allowed to adsorb for 15 min. The mixture was subjected to centrifugation immediately at 5000 rpm for 10 min to remove free phage particles. The pellet was resuspended in 5 fresh LB medium and the culture was continuously incubated at 37° C. Samples were taken at 5 min intervals and phage titer was determined. These results permitted to calculate the number of phages produced per bacteria (burst size), the productive time and the productive lytic effect (PLE), as shown in table 3 below.











TABLE 3








BURST
PLE



Productive
Adsorption
SIZE
(PFU per



lytic
rate
(PFU per
bacterium


Phage
time (min)
(ml − 1 min − 1)
bacterium)
per min)



















1384
80
8.64E−09
499
6.24


1777
13
9.27E−08
55
4.4


1792
16
1.46E−08
52
3.3


1797
28
1.81E−08
31
1.1


1800
13
1.61E−08
46
3.5


1902
18
2.75E−08
54
2.9


1940
10
6.08E−08
43
4.3









These results show that all phages have potent viral production capacity and absorption rates. Most phages have a PLE below 7, which demonstrates a remarkable profile. Phage 1777 is particularly effective in this regard. In addition, the different PLE and adsorption times permit to create cocktails with selected variability.
Example 3: Composition of Bacteriophages
The following cocktail compositions are constituted, each comprising between 109 and 1011 pfu of each bacteriophage:








TABLE 4





Cocktail
Phages







I
P1797 + P1902


II
P1797 + P1800 + P1384


III
P1777 + P1797 + P1940 + P1384


IV
P1777 + P1792 + P1797 + P1800 + P1384


V
P1777 + P1792 + P1797 + P1800 + P1902 + P1384


VI
P1777 + P1792 + P1797 + P1800 + P1902 + P1940 + P1384


VII
P1792 + P1384


VIII
P1797 + P1384









Example 4: Antibacterial Activity
Various strains of bacteria are incubated with a bacteriophage cocktail of the invention at 2.109 bacteriophages/ml for 24 h at 37° C. Cocktails are tested on the 16 distinct P. aeruginosa bacteria listed in table 2. The % of bacteria species sensitive to the cocktails are listed in table 5 below:










TABLE 5








% Killed 



Cocktail
P. aeruginosa species



















I
100%



II
100%



III
100%



IV
100%



V
100%



VI
100%



VII
100%



VIII
100%










Bacteria were enumerated and used to the calculation of resistance rate (number of bacteria after incubation/number of bacteria plated) with cocktail VI. Resistance rates were obtained, as shown in the following table 6:










TABLE 6







Bacteria
Rate (bacteria/ml)









LMG 24891
4.90E−06



LMG 24945
2.40E−07



LMG 24970
2.00E−08



LMG 25082
1.30E−07



LMG 25131
<1.00E−08 



LMG 25194
7.75E−06










All tested bacteria are sensitive to compositions of the invention.

Example 5: Cocktail Specificity
The cocktail specificity was confirmed by testing on ten different gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria species, including Escherichia coli (several strains), Acinetobacter baumanii, Enterobacter aerogenes C, Enterobacter asburiae, Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Stenotrophomonas maltophila, Serratia marcescens. 
Table 7 shows the lack of lytic activity of the cocktail containing the 7 bacteriophages.










TABLE 7







Bacterium Species/stains
Cocktail









Acinetobacter baumanii
—



Escherichia coli K12
—



Escherichia coli S176
—



Escherichia coli ECOR5
—



Escherichia coli ECOR54
—



Escherichia coli ECOR60
—



Escherichia coli SH146
—



Enterobacter aerogens
—



Enterobacter amnigeus
—



Enterobacter asburiae
—



Enterobacter cloacae
—



Klebsiella pneumoniae
—



Proteus mirabilis
—



Serratia marcescens
—



Strenophomonas maltophila
—



Staphylococcus aureus
—










The above table clearly shows that no lytic activity on bacteria other than P. aeruginosa strains occurred. The bacteriophages and cocktail of the invention are therefore highly specific to P. aeruginosa strains.
Example 6: Efficiency of Each Bacteriophage on P. aeruginosa PAO1 Strain
PAO1 strain was selected because it is a commonly used laboratory strain. Bacteria were grown individually and each bacteriophage was added individually (FIG. 1-6) or in cocktail (FIG. 7) at a MOI of 1 to 10e-4, i.e. at a dilution ratio (bacteria/phage) of 1 to 10 000.
FIG. 1 shows that bacteriophage 1384 is efficient at MOIs of 1, 0.1 or 0.01.
FIG. 2 shows that bacteriophage 1777 is efficient at a MOI of 1.
FIG. 3 shows that Bacteriophage 1792 is active against PAO1 strain during at least 6 h even at a MOI 10e-4.
FIG. 4 shows that bacteriophage 1797 is active against PAO1 strain during at least 6 h even at a MOI 10e-4.
FIG. 5 shows that bacteriophage 1800 is active against PAO1 strain during at least 6 h even at a MOI 10e-4.
FIG. 6 shows that, depending on the MOI, bacteriophage 1800 is active against PAO1 strain during at least 6 h.
FIG. 7 shows the efficacy of bacteriophage cocktail VI on PAO1 strain. The cocktail is highly active against PAO1 strain during at least 6 h even at a MOI 10e-4 and is more efficient than the phages individually.
Example 7: Efficiency of a Bacteriophage Cocktail of the Invention on Cystic Fibrosis Antibiotic Resistant P. aeruginosa Strains
Several strains were chosen to represent P. aeruginosa that causes respiratory problems. They were grown individually and the bacteriophage cocktail VI was added at a MOI of 1 to 10e-4, i.e. at a dilution ratio (bacteria/phage) of 1 to 10 000.







TABLE 8







information about the bacterial strains















Resistance to


Bacterium
Country
Year
Source
antibiotics














CF1
Canada
2010
Hospital
Aztreonam 16






Tobramycin 8


CF2
United
2010
Analysis laboratory
Aztreonam 0.5



State


Tobramycin 8


CF3
France
2014
Patient
Multiresistant





expectoration









The results are presented in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10.

FIG. 8 shows that the cocktail is fully efficient on CF1 strain even after 6 h and with a very low MOI.
FIG. 9 shows that the cocktail is highly efficient on CF2 strain even after 6 h.
FIG. 10 shows that the cocktail is efficient on CF3 strain.
The results show that bacteriophage cocktail VI was very efficient on three nosocomial bacterial P. aeruginosa strains isolated from hospitalized patients, even after being diluted up to a ten thousand fold. These results thus demonstrate that compositions of the invention can be used to treat P. aeruginosa infection in vivo, and are active against multi-resistant bacterial strains.
REFERENCES


    Clark W A, 1962, Appl Microbiol. Comparison of several methods for preserving bacteriophages. 1962 September; 10:466-71.
    Drulis-Kawa Z, Majkowska-Skrobek G, Maciejewska B, Delattre A S, Lavigne R, 2012, Learning from bacteriophages—advantages and limitations of phage and phage-encoded protein applications; 13(8): 699-722.
    Fordos J. 1859. Receuil des travaux de la Societé d'Emulation pour les Sciences Pharmaceutiques, vol 3 Societé d'Emulation pour les Sciences Pharmaceutiques, Paris, France.
    Freeman L. 1916. Chronic general infection with the Bacillus pyocyaneus. Ann. Surg. 64:195-202.
    Gang R K, Bang R L, Sanyal S C, Mokaddas E, Lari A R. 1999. Pseudomonas aeruginosa septicaemia in burns. Burns 25:611-616.
    Jones A M, et al. 2010. Clinical outcome for cystic fibrosis patients infected with transmissible Pseudomonas aeruginosa: an 8-year prospective study. Chest 137:1405-1409.
    Kang C I, et al. 2005. Bloodstream infections caused by antibiotic-resistant gram-negative bacilli: risk factors for mortality and impact of inappropriate initial antimicrobial therapy on outcome. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 49:760-766.
    Micek S T, et al. 2005. Pseudomonas aeruginosa bloodstream infection: importance of appropriate initial antimicrobial treatment. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 49:1306-1311.
    Strateva T. and Yordanov D. 2009. Pseudomonas aeruginosa—a phenomenon of bacterial resistance. Journal of Medical Microbiology 58, 1133-1148.
    Weinbauer M G. Ecology of prokaryotic viruses. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2004; 28:127-81.
    Williams E P, Cameron K. 1894. Infection by the Bacillus pyocyaneus a cause of infantile mortality. Public Health Pap. Rep. 20:355-360.

## Claims

1. An antibacterial composition comprising at least one bacteriophage having lytic activity against a Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) strain and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient or carrier, said at least one bacteriophage being selected from the bacteriophages having a genome comprising a nucleotide sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOs: 2 to 7 or a sequence having at least 99% identity thereto, and said pharmaceutically acceptable excipient or carrier comprising a preservative in an amount effective to preserve the activity of the bacteriophage.

2. The composition of claim 1, comprising at least one bacteriophage selected from the group consisting of BP1777, BP1792, BP1797, BP1800, BP1902, and BP1940, said bacteriophage having a genome comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NOs: 2 to 7, respectively.

3. The composition of claim 1, which is lytic against antibiotic-resistant P. aeruginosa strains.

4. The composition of claim 1, which is lytic against more that 90% of all bacterial strains of the LMG collection.

5. The composition of claim 1, wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable excipient or carrier comprises buffered physiological saline.

6. The composition of claim 1, in the form of a liquid, semi-liquid, solid or lyophilized formulation.

7. The composition of claim 6, which comprises between 10e4 and 10e12 PFU of each bacteriophage.

8. A method of treatment of an infection in a mammal in need thereof comprising contacting the mammal with an effective amount of an antibacterial composition, wherein said composition comprises at least one bacteriophage having lytic activity against a Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) strain, said at least one bacteriophage being selected from the bacteriophages having a genome comprising any one of SEQ ID NOs: 2 to 7 or a sequence having at least 99% identity thereto.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the infection is an infection of the respiratory tract.

10. A method for improving the condition of a mammal by modifying the microbial flora in said mammal comprising contacting the mammal with an effective amount of an antibacterial composition, wherein said composition comprises at least one bacteriophage having lytic activity against a Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) strain, said at least one bacteriophage being selected from the bacteriophages having a genome comprising any one of SEQ ID NOs: 2 to 7 or a sequence having at least 99% identity thereto.

11. A method for decontaminating a material, comprising exposing the material to an effective amount of an antibacterial composition, wherein said composition comprises at least one bacteriophage having lytic activity against a Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) strain, said at least one bacteriophage being selected from the bacteriophages having a genome comprising any one of SEQ ID NOs: 2 to 7 or a sequence having at least 99% identity thereto.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the composition comprises at least one of the bacteriophages selected from the group consisting of BP1777, BP1792, BP1797, BP1800, BP1902, and BP1940, said bacteriophage having a genome comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NOs: 2 to 7, respectively.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the composition comprises at least one of the bacteriophages selected from the group consisting of BP1777, BP1792, BP1797, BP1800, BP1902, and BP1940, said bacteriophage having a genome comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NOs: 2 to 7, respectively.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the composition comprises at least one of the bacteriophages selected from the group consisting of BP1777, BP1792, BP1797, BP1800, BP1902, and BP1940, said bacteriophage having a genome comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NOs: 2 to 7, respectively.