Finnish scientists have shown in animal studies that bacteriophages on the mucous membrane protect against the penetration of pathogenic bacteria.

Scientists from the University of Jyväskylä (Finland) investigated* the relationship between the mucus that coats mucous membranes, bacteriophages, and their target bacteria. Rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ), the bacterium Flavobacterium columnare , which is pathogenic to rainbow trout, and the phage FCL-2 (myophage), specific to this bacterium, were used as model organisms.

Scientists applied bacteriophages to the mucous membranes of fish and studied their interaction with mucus and bacteria. They found that the bacteriophages attached to mucus components and remained on the mucous membranes for up to 7 days. During this period, they protected the animal from F. columnare infection. Thus, bacteriophages may serve as an additional defense against a number of pathogenic bacteria.

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It was found that upon contact with mucous membranes, F. columnare's virulence increases, but at the same time the bacteria become more sensitive to bacteriophages.

The authors believe that enriching animal mucosa with bacteriophages may have a preventative effect against certain diseases. Preventing bacterial infections with phages holds great promise for both veterinary science (in animal husbandry) and human medicine.

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* Almeida GMF, Laanto E, Ashrafi R, Sundberg LR. Bacteriophage Adherence to Mucus Mediates Preventive Protection against Pathogenic Bacteria // mBio, 2019, 10 (6): e01984-19. DOI https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.01984-19