Research progress in lysin therapy

Abstract:

Treating infections caused by multi-drug resistant pathogenic bacteria is a challenge worldwide. It is critical to develop novel antimicrobial agents. Lysins are highly efficient peptidoglycan hydrolases which are encoded by bacteriophages. Because of their special advantages of co-evolution with bacteria and natural selectivity, lysins could kill multi-drug resistant bacteria with high efficacy and very low possibility of developing resistance. In the present review, the structures and functions of lysins are outlined, and the recent research progress in lysin therapy of bacterial infections is summarized.