Probiotic-Loaded Bacterial Cellulose as an Alternative to Combat Carbapenem-Resistant Bacterial Infections.

Carbapenems are one of the mainstays of treatment for antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB). This has made the rise of carbapenem-resistant bacteria a threat to global health. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified carbapenem-resistant bacteria as critical pathogens, and the development of novel antibacterials capable of combating infections caused by these bacteria is a priority. : With the aim of finding new alternatives to fight against ARB and especially against carbapenem-resistant bacteria, we have developed a series of living materials formed by incorporating the probiotics (), (), and a mixture of both (+) into bacterial cellulose (BC). : These probiotic-loaded bacterial celluloses inhibited the proliferation of three ARB, including two carbapenem-resistant enterobacteria (CRE), identified as and , and a carbapenem-resistant . Interestingly, while the probiotics , , and the mixture of both were found to be inactive against these ARB, they became active once incorporated into BC. : The increase in activity is due to the known effect that cells increase their activity once incorporated into a suitable matrix, forming a living material. For the same reasons, the probiotics in the living materials BC-, BC-, and BC-+ showed increased stability, allowing them to be stored with bacterial activity for long periods of time (two months).