Department of Biotechnology

Development and study of bacteriophages, endolysins, and dosage forms for infection therapy and tissue regeneration

Description

The project integrates fundamental and applied research in the field of phage therapy, the development of recombinant endolysins, and the creation of new dosage forms for the treatment of infectious diseases and stimulation of tissue regeneration. Lytic bacteriophages (Cutibacterium acnes, Salmonella), their genomic characterization, and therapeutic potential are studied. Endolysin-containing gels for the treatment of anaerobic infections are being developed, and their pharmacokinetics and safety are investigated. A separate direction is devoted to the development and study of new dosage forms: dental films with ketorolac, eye gels with interferon, suppositories with bacteriophages, intranasal forms of naloxone, as well as the study of the wound-healing activity of dihydroquercetin

Goal

Development and comprehensive study of bacteriophages, recombinant endolysins, and innovative dosage forms for the therapy of antibiotic-resistant infections, as well as for applications in dentistry, ophthalmology, and regenerative medicine

Key objectives

1. Isolation and genomic characterization of lytic bacteriophages Cutibacterium acnes and Salmonella.
2. Study of the therapeutic potential of bacteriophages for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant intestinal infections
3. Development and study of the pharmacokinetics and safety of an endolysin-containing gel for topical application
4. Evaluation of the efficacy of an endolysin-containing antibacterial gel for the treatment of anaerobic infection caused by Fusobacterium necrophorum
5. Determination of the bactericidal activity spectrum of recombinant endolysins of bacteriophages ECD7, Am24, Ap22, Si3, and St11
6. Analysis of the pharmacokinetics of suppository forms of bacteriophages

Partner organizations

• Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University
• Mechnikov Research Institute of Vaccines and Sera
• Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University
• Gamaleya National Research Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology

Publications

• Vorobeva AA, Vorobev AM, Evseev PV, Mekhtiev ER, Chaplin AV, Pasivkina MA, Zubkova ES, Bochkareva SS, Yaitsky MA, Nikitin NA, Demina NB, Korol VA, Aleshkin AV, Blintsov AN, Anurova MN. Isolation and Genomic Characterization of Two Lytic Cutibacterium acnes Phages Defines Two Novel Pahexavirus Species. Viruses. 2026 Feb 6;18(2):214. doi: 10.3390/v18020214
• Pasivkina MA, Anurova MN, Kiseleva IA, Andreeva AA, Vorobev AM, Mizaeva TE, Mekhtiev ER, Zubkova ES, Alieva KM, Kuzmin AR, Karaulov AV, Aleshkin AV. Isolation and Characterization of Salmonella Bacteriophages as Potential Agents for Phage Therapy of Antibiotic-Resistant Intestinal Infections. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2024 Aug;177(4):465-469. doi: 10.1007/s10517-024-06209-6.
• Antonova NP, Vasina DV, Grigoriev IV, Usachev EV, Aleshkin AV, Vorobev AM, Laishevtsev AI, Kapustin AV, Savinov VA, Anurova MN, Zackharova AA, Remizov TA, Makarov VV, Yudin SM, Gushchin VA. Pharmacokinetics and Preclinical Safety Studies of Modified Endolysin-based Gel for Topical Application. J Pharm Sci. 2024 Aug;113(8):2093-2100. doi: 10.1016/j.xphs.2024.04.028
• Vasina DV, Antonova NP, Vorobev AM, Laishevtsev AI, Kapustin AV, Zulkarneev ER, Bochkareva SS, Kiseleva IA, Anurova MN, Aleshkin AV, Tkachuk AP, Gushchin VA. Efficacy of the Endolysin-Based Antibacterial Gel for Treatment of Anaerobic Infection Caused by Fusobacterium necrophorum. Antibiotics (Basel). 2021 Oct 16;10(10):1260. doi: 10.3390/antibiotics10101260
• Vorob'ev AM, Anurova MN, Aleshkin AV, Gushchin VA, Vasina DV, Antonova NP, Kiseleva IA, Rubalskii EO, Zul'karneev ER, Laishevtsev AI, Mekhtiev ER, Kaminskii VV, Bakhrushina EO, Bochkareva SS, Karaulov AV. Determination of Bactericidal Activity Spectrum of Recombinant Endolysins of ECD7, Am24, Ap22, Si3, and St11 Bacteriophages. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2021 Mar;170(5):636-639. doi: 10.1007/s10517-021-05122-6.
• Terekhov RP, Selivanova IA, Anurova MN, Zhevlakova AK, Nikitin ID, Cong Z, Ma S, Yang F, Dong Z, Liao Y. Comparative Study of Wound-Healing Activity of Dihydroquercetin Pseudopolymorphic Modifications. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2021 Feb;170(4):444-447. doi: 10.1007/s10517-021-05083-w.
• Bakhrushina EO, Demina NB, Kashperko AS, Vakina MG, Anurova MN, Zhilyakova ET, Krasnyuk II. Development of Composition and Technologies of Dental Film with Ketorolac Trometamine. Drug Res (Stuttg). 2021 Feb;71(2):104-107. doi: 10.1055/a-1302-7701
• Bochkareva SS, Karaulov AV, Aleshkin AV, Novikova LI, Kiseleva IA, Rubal'skii EO, Mekhtiev ER, Styshnev AO, Zul'karneev ER, Anurova MN, Bakhrushina EO, Letarov AV. Analysis of the Pharmacokinetics of Suppository Forms of Bacteriophages. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2020 Apr;168(6):748-752. doi: 10.1007/s10517-020-04794-w.
• Anurova MN, Bakhrushina EO, Lapik IV, Kashperko AS, Krasnyuk II. New Combined Eye Gel with Alpha-2-Beta Interferon. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2020 Jan;168(3):349-351. doi: 10.1007/s10517-020-04706-y.
• Bariev EA, Krasnyuk II, Anurova MN, Bakhrushina EO, Smirnov VV, Bardakov AI, Demina NB, Krasnyuk II Jr. Study of the Acute Toxicity of a New Dosage Form of Naloxone Hydrochloride for Intranasal Administration. Drug Res (Stuttg). 2020 Jan;70(1):23-25. doi: 10.1055/a-0899-4948