The zebrafish embryo model: unveiling its potential for investigating phage therapy against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection

Abstract

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogenic bacterium responsible for a broad spectrum of infections, including cutaneous, respiratory, osteoarticular, and systemic infections. It poses a significant clinical challenge due to its ability to develop antibiotic resistance. This resistance limits therapeutic options, increases the risk of severe complications, and underscores the urgent need for new strategies to address this threat, including the investigation of treatments complementary to antibiotics. The evaluation of novel antimicrobial agents often employs animal models, with the zebrafish embryo model being particularly interesting for studying host-pathogen interactions, establishing itself as a crucial tool in this field. For the first time, this study presents a zebrafish embryo model for the in vivo assessment of bacteriophage efficacy against S. aureus infection. A localized infection was induced by microinjecting either methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) or methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA). Subsequent treatments involved administering either bacteriophage, vancomycin (the reference antibiotic for MRSA), or a combination of both via the same route to explore potential synergistic effects. Our findings indicate that the bacteriophage was as effective as vancomycin in enhancing survival rates, whether used alone or in combination. Moreover, bacteriophage treatment appears to be even more effective in reducing the bacterial load in S. aureus -infected embryos post-treatment than the antibiotic. Our study validates the use of the zebrafish embryo model and highlights its potential as a valuable tool in assessing bacteriophage efficacy treatments in vivo .