Antiviral activity of bacteriophages

Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses specific to bacterial cells. Until now, the main application of bacteriophages in medicine has been the treatment of bacterial infections. However, there are also data in the literature indicating the possibility of inhibition of pathogenic virus infections by phage virions. The aim of the project is to evaluate the impact of the highly bacteriophages T4 (E. coli phage) and A5 / 80 (staphylococcal phage) and their dsDNA on the main stages of the human adenovirus type 5 (HAdV-5) replication cycle, including adsorption, viral early and late protein synthesis , intracellular transport, assembling of virions and their release from cells. It is also planned to evaluate the potential antiviral activity of dsDNA of both tested bacteriophages. In addition, the influence of phages on the expression of TLR genes (and proteins involved in signal transduction from these receptors), as well as genes encoding HAdV receptors (CAR, αv and β3 integrin chains) will be investigated - induction of changes in the expression of these genes is another possible activity of phages, which may be responsible for their antiviral activity. The influence of both phages and their dsDNA on the production of type I interferon as a result of stimulation of these receptors will also be investigated. EXPECTED RESULTS: For the first time, the effect of highly purified bacteriophage virions (and their dsDNA) on the major stages of the pathogenic virus replication cycle will be thoroughly investigated. Moreover, the ability of phages to activate TLR receptors will be assessed for the first time, and their influence on the expression of the genes of these receptors and genes encoding the receptors for the pathogenic virus. As bacteriophages are the most abundant and highly diverse group of viruses, the project results could be the starting point for future extensive research into the interactions between phage and pathogenic viruses. Demonstration of the antiviral activity of phages could indicate a new and unexpected role of endogenous phages, which are a quantitatively significant component of the microflora of the human body and various animals, as a factor also involved in the antiviral resistance of the organism. While the project is a basic research project with no immediate practical application, its results could lead to the use of bacteriophages as new antiviral drugs in the future.