Background: A global health concern is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The use of bacteriophages is one of the many novel control strategies against MRSA that are frequently sought. However, it is quite challenging to isolate enough lytic anti-MRSA phages. In order to extract, optimize, and remodel anti-MRSA phages, this study sought novel approaches.

Methods: Two ATCC MRSA strains and nine clinical MRSA isolates were used to isolate wild anti-MRSA phages from hospital settings, dirt, and sewage. The wild phages were optimized using plaque-based biokinetic techniques. Using chemicals that weakened bacterial cell walls, the resulting highly lytic and specific anti-MRSA phages were subjected to unique physicochemical phage redesign processes. This allowed the phages to enter host bacteria and acquire the specificity of the new host. Three different protocols were tested using combinations of Tween 20, lysozyme, and nisin A.

Results: Nisin A and lysozyme protocols at different rates were found to be successful in producing newly redesigned, transiently stable, anti-MRSA phages.

Conclusion: Unlike self-depleting antibiotic-based applications, phage redesign is self-fortifying. In order to address the increasing number of epidemic MRSA strains, this model could prove to be a perfect platform for developing trustworthy control and treatment strategies. Additionally, it is believed to be an infinite supply of anti-MRSA lytic phages from which several permanent phage lysins can be isolated and refined.