In this enlightening episode, we chat with Dr. Elinav about his fascinating research on the association of certain gut microbes with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and the potential use of phage therapy to combat these conditions.

Dr. Elinav's work focuses on a clade of Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp) strains, found to be associated with the severity and exacerbation of IBD in four distinct geographical cohorts. These strains, unique in their antibiotics resistance and mobilome signature, were observed to enhance intestinal inflammation when transferred into colitis-prone, germ-free, and colonized mice.

Exploring the potential of phage therapy, Dr. Elinav and his team have designed a lytic five-phage combination that targets both sensitive and resistant members of the IBD-associated Kp clade, and effectively suppresses Kp in colitis-prone mice, leading to decreased inflammation and disease severity.

Our conversation also covers the proof-of-concept assessment of Kp-targeting phages in an artificial human gut and in healthy volunteers, demonstrating the resilience, safety, and viability of these phages in the lower gut.

Join us as we delve into the promise of phage therapy for managing gut microbes contributing to non-communicable diseases, a new frontier in IBD treatment.

Key Words: Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Phage Therapy, Gut Microbiota, Pathobionts, Antibiotic Resistance, Non-Communicable Diseases.

Dr. Elinav et al.: Targeted suppression of human IBD-associated gut microbiota commensals by phage consortia for treatment of intestinal inflammation https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2022.07.003