ΦK-8 + ΦDΔ + ΦEΔ

ΦK-8 + ΦDΔ + ΦEΔ is a rationally designed three-phage combination (phage cocktail) developed by researchers at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. It consists of three novel lytic bacteriophages isolated from wastewater: ΦK-8 (belonging to the Casjensviridae family, χ-like), ΦDΔ (belonging to the Demerecviridae family, T5-like), and ΦEΔ (belonging to the Straboviridae family, T4-like). The cocktail is designed to target and control clinical high-risk carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) sequence type 307 (ST307) isolates. By combining these three phages, the cocktail exploits complementary resistance trade-offs and creates an evolutionary trap, where ΦK-8 kills mutants adapted to ΦDΔ/ΦEΔ, and ΦDΔ/ΦEΔ eliminates ΦK-8-resistant mutants, thereby achieving sustained bacterial killing and suppressing the rapid emergence of phage resistance.

Other names

phiK-8 + phiDDelta + phiEDeltaphiK-8 + phiDDelta + phiEDelta phage cocktailthree-phage combination (ΦK-8 + ΦDΔ + ΦEΔ)ΦK-8 + ΦDΔ + ΦEΔ phage cocktail