With concern growing over antibiotics resistance, the use of bacteriophages to combat resistant bacteria has been suggested as an alternative strategy with which to enable the selective control of targeted pathogens. One major challenge that restrains the therapeutic application of bacteriophages as antibacterial agents is their short lifespan, which limits their antibacterial effect in vivo. Here, we developed a polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA)/alginate-composite microsphere for increasing the lifespan of bacteriophages in vivo. The alginate matrix in PLGA microspheres encapsulated the bacteriophages and protected them against destabilization by an organic solvent. Encapsulated bacteriophages were detected in the tissue for 28 days post-administration, while the bacteriophages administered without advanced encapsulation survived in vivo for only 3–5 days. The bacteriophages with extended fate showed prophylaxis against the bacterial pathogens for 28 days post-administration. This enhanced prophylaxis is presumed to have originated from the diminished immune response against these encapsulated bacteriophages because of their controlled release. Collectively, composite encapsulation has prophylactic potential against bacterial pathogens that threaten food safety and public health.

中文翻译：

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聚乳酸-共-乙醇酸/藻酸盐-复合包封延长体内噬菌体的命运

随着对抗生素耐药性的关注日益增加，已建议使用噬菌体对抗耐药细菌作为选择性控制目标病原体的替代策略。限制噬菌体作为抗菌剂的治疗应用的一个主要挑战是它们的短寿命，这限制了它们在体内的抗菌作用。在这里，我们开发了一种聚乳酸-共-乙醇酸 (PLGA)/海藻酸盐复合微球，用于延长体内噬菌体的寿命。PLGA 微球中的藻酸盐基质包裹了噬菌体并保护它们免受有机溶剂的破坏。给药后 28 天在组织中检测到包裹的噬菌体，而没有进行高级封装的噬菌体在体内只能存活 3-5 天。具有延长命运的噬菌体在给药后 28 天显示出对细菌病原体的预防作用。据推测，这种增强的预防作用源于对这些包裹的噬菌体的免疫反应减弱，因为它们是受控释放的。总的来说，复合封装对威胁食品安全和公共健康的细菌病原体具有预防潜力。