Currently antibiotics are the mainstay of therapy for BV, however, the recurrence rate is up to 70 % within a year. BV is characterized by a microbial imbalance of the vaginal flora, predominantly the loss of normally dominant Lacobacilli and the overgrowth of anaerobic bacteria. More than a dozen bacterial species have been identified to be associated with BV, among them species of the genus Gardnerella were found to be the most prevalent, and without them BV symptoms seem not to occur.

PhagoMed isolated a panel of bacteriophage Endolysins, highly evolved hydrolytic enzymes, that specifically degrade the bacterial cell wall of all tested species within the genus Gardnerella. By genetic engineering the lytic activity of these endolysins was further enhanced whereat the specificity for Gardnerella spp. was still preserved.

When testing these endolysins on different Lactobacilli strains their viability was not affected.

This combination of high selectivity as well as high effectiveness in killing Gardnerella makes endolysins a very attractive alternative to antibiotics for the treatment of BV.

Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle, Pharmaceutical Microbiology Resources (http://www.pharmamicroresources.com/)