Anti-Acinetobacter baumannii single-chain variable fragments provide therapeutic efficacy in an immunocompromised mouse pneumonia model

Abstract Background The emergence of carbapenem-resistant and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Acinetobacter baumannii as well as inadequate effective antibiotics calls for an urgent effort to find new antibacterial agents. The therapeutic efficacy of two human scFvs, EB211 and EB279, showing growth inhibitory activity against A. baumannii in vitro, was investigated in immunocompromised mice with A. baumannii pneumonia. Results The data revealed that infected mice treated with EB211, EB279, and a combination of the two scFvs showed better survival, reduced bacterial load in the lungs, and no marked pathological abnormalities in the kidneys, liver, and lungs when compared to the control groups receiving normal saline or an irrelevant scFv. Conclusions The results from this study suggest that the scFvs with direct growth inhibitory activity could offer promising results in the treatment of pneumonia caused by XDR A. baumannii.