Chronic wound infections present a persistent therapeutic challenge due to limited tissue perfusion and the presence of bacterial biofilms, which significantly reduce the effectiveness of systemic and topical antibiotics. The global rise in antimicrobial resistance further compounds these difficulties. Renewed interest in phage therapy recognizes its potential against drug-resistant and biofilm-associated bacteria, but clinical translation remains limited by phage vulnerability to complex wound environments and by the risk of phage resistance emerging during treatment.
Combining bacteriophages with antibiotics can yield phage-antibiotic synergy, an approach that may lower the likelihood of resistance and improve bacterial eradication. However, a major translational obstacle is the lack of delivery systems that can protect both modalities and deliver them in a clinically practical manner. The work summarized here addresses that gap by creating a local co-delivery system that physically separates and protects both agents while enabling rapid therapeutic action.
To enable localized co-delivery, the investigators developed a core-shell nanofiber matrix fabricated by electrospinning. In this architecture, the lytic bacteriophage JG004 and the β-lactam antibiotic aztreonam are spatially segregated within the fiber’s core and shell regions, respectively. This spatial separation is intended to protect the biologic agent from environmental stressors while maintaining the antibiotic in a position that allows rapid antimicrobial action upon release.
The electrospinning-derived fibers were engineered for mechanical robustness to withstand handling and application to wound beds. The modular manufacturing approach described in the abstract allows alternative phage–antibiotic pairings to be incorporated into the same core-shell format, supporting adaptability to different pathogens or resistance profiles.
According to the abstract, the nanofiber constructs demonstrate high mechanical robustness and importantly maintain phage viability for at least 28 days. The core-shell configuration reduces phage exposure to environmental and oxidative stresses compared with unprotected formulations, contributing to prolonged viability during storage or prior to application.
The abstract reports these stability findings as a key feature supporting the platform’s potential use in wound care, where delayed or staged release and protection from ambient conditions are clinically relevant.
The platform enables rapid release of both active agents from the nanofiber matrix while simultaneously reducing damaging exposure for the phage. Rapid liberation of the antibiotic from the shell likely provides an early antibacterial assault, whereas the protected phage in the core remains viable and available to propagate within susceptible bacterial populations.
By decreasing phage exposure to oxidative and environmental stressors, the core-shell architecture seeks to preserve phage infectivity until delivery, an important consideration for biologic therapeutics that are otherwise labile outside controlled conditions.
In vitro assays with Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed pronounced synergy between the phage and aztreonam delivered from the nanofibers. The combined therapy achieved up to 99% bacterial reduction, outperforming the corresponding monotherapies when applied to both planktonic cultures and biofilm-associated bacteria. These results indicate that the co-delivery approach can substantially increase antimicrobial efficacy compared with either agent alone in relevant in vitro infection models.
The abstract emphasizes that the co-delivery platform’s performance against biofilm-associated bacteria is particularly notable, given the clinical challenges posed by biofilms in chronic wounds.
A stated advantage of the system is its modular architecture, which allows flexible integration of alternative phage–antibiotic pairings. This design supports rapid adaptation to individual patient pathogens and resistance profiles, enabling a personalized approach to local anti-infective therapy. Such flexibility could be used to select phages and antibiotics that match microbiological susceptibility data from patient wound cultures.
By combining sustained antimicrobial performance, protection of the biologic component, and a clinically adaptable delivery format, the nanofiber platform aims to facilitate integration of phage-based strategies into modern wound care practices. Localized delivery from a robust nanofiber dressing could mitigate some limitations of systemic therapy, concentrate agents at the infection site, and reduce systemic exposure to antibiotics.
The abstract frames the platform as a promising route toward personalized infection management that supports the broader clinical translation of phage–antibiotic combination therapies.
The abstract provides key proof-of-concept data but does not report several details necessary for full clinical assessment: the exact fiber composition and processing parameters; quantitative release kinetics and pharmacodynamics beyond the statement of rapid release; comprehensive stability data beyond the 28-day phage viability claim; in vivo efficacy, safety, and wound-healing outcomes; regulatory and manufacturing scale-up considerations; or long-term resistance surveillance. These items were not reported in the abstract and would require consultation of the full text for complete evaluation.
Overall, the study presents a protective, modular electrospun core-shell nanofiber platform that preserves phage viability, delivers aztreonam rapidly, and demonstrates marked in vitro phage-antibiotic synergy against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, including biofilm-associated populations. These attributes support further preclinical and translational work to determine clinical feasibility in chronic wound management.