Effect of human urinary microenvironment and fluid flow on antibiotic and phage therapy efficacy against uropathogenic Escherichia coli

Urinary tract infections (UTI) remain a major global health burden, with high recurrence despite antibiotic treatment. The escalating prevalence of antimicrobial resistance further compromises therapeutic efficacy, contributing to an estimated 260,000 deaths annually. Conventional in vitro susceptibility assays often fail to predict clinical outcomes, underscoring the urgent need for physiologically relevant infection models.

Here, we examined how microenvironmental complexity shapes uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) responses to antibiotics and bacteriophages using: human urine, a three-dimensional urothelial microtissue model (3D-UHU), and a novel mesofluidic system (P-FLO) that introduces physiologically relevant flow dynamics to the 3D-UHU. P-FLO was engineered from cost-effective 3D-printed components compatible with standard Transwell systems.

Among the antibiotics tested, nitrofurantoin exhibited the greatest potency in minimum inhibitory concentration assays, but it failed to fully eradicate infection within the more physiological 3D-UHU model. A bacteriophage cocktail (LCPR1) showed markedly reduced activity in urine compared with nutrient-rich media, highlighting the influence of infection-site conditions. In contrast, in 3D-UHU, LCRP1 modulated host responses without reducing bacterial burden. Combination therapy (nitrofurantoin + LCPR1) eliminated planktonic bacteria under static conditions but offered no added benefit against adherent or intracellular populations relative to antibiotic monotherapy. Incorporating flow revealed additional layers of complexity, where shear stress induced bacterial elongation and attachment and altered drug performance, diminishing the efficacy of nitrofurantoin and combination therapy against planktonic populations despite increased drug exposure.

Together, these findings demonstrate that the bladder microenvironment and its mechanical forces modulate host-pathogen interactions and profoundly influence UPEC infection dynamics and therapeutic outcomes, emphasizing the need for advanced, physiologically informed models to guide treatment strategies in the post-antibiotic era.