Phage-derived enzyme targets E. faecalis biofilms to mitigate acute graft-versus-host disease.

A recent study published in the journal Nature has shed light on the role of the microbiome in acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD), a common complication of allogenic haematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT). The study focused on the prevalence and implications of Enterococcus domination in allo-HCT patients and identified an intriguing bacteriophage-derived enzyme called endolysin that specifically targets Enterococcus faecalis. The endolysin exhibited potent antibacterial activity against E. faecalis and effectively lysed biofilms without affecting other intestinal bacteria species. The findings hold promise for future applications in preventing or treating aGVHD. [Extracted from the article]