A liposome can become a "Trojan horse" that will help bacteriophages enter cells and destroy intracellular bacterial pathogens.

A microfluidic technology for encapsulating bacteriophages in liposomes ranging in size from 100 to 300 nm was recently proposed in the UK. Escherichia coli T3 phage (~65 nm) and Staphylococcus aureus K phage (head size ~80 nm, tail length ~200 nm) were used as model objects for testing. The yield of encapsulated bacteriophages was: for T3 – 10 ⁹ PFU, for K – 10 ⁵ PFU.

Phage K was found to interact with the lipid bilayer of the liposome, resulting in a significant number of phages binding to the liposome's exterior rather than being encapsulated within. The authors were able to inactivate phages located outside the liposome shell while preserving the activity of phages located within, enabling them to estimate the number of encapsulated phages. Previously, when testing liposomes with bacteriophages, the number of encapsulated phages could be overestimated due to the presence of viruses "adhering" to the liposome's exterior. These viruses were inactivated in the acidic environment of the stomach, leading to a reduced dose of phages reaching the target organ and, consequently, reduced therapeutic effectiveness.

Encapsulating phages in nanosized liposomes will help deliver them into human and animal cells infected with bacterial pathogens. This approach could be useful in treating infections caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Listeria, Salmonella , and various species of Staphylococcus .

Furthermore, phage-containing liposomes can be adsorbed to the surface or penetrate deep into the mucosa. This is an important advantage in the treatment of respiratory and gastrointestinal infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In particular, in gastrointestinal infections, bacteriophages can be quickly eliminated from the intestines due to diarrhea, and adhesion of liposomes to the mucosa can help prevent this process.

* Cinquerrui S, Mancuso F, Vladisavljević GT, Bakker SE, Malik DJ. Nanoencapsulation of Bacteriophages in Liposomes Prepared Using Microfluidic Hydrodynamic Flow Focusing // Front Microbiol., 2018, 9:2172. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02172.