Overview
The use of bacteriophages to eliminate bacterial infections is known as phage therapy. Antibiotics, which are the most popular drug we use today for bacterial infections, become less effective over time. This is due to antibiotic resistance, which leads to bacteria mutating in order to defeat the antibiotic. These mutations are spread quickly to other bacteria, which leads to resistance over time.
Phages/Bacteriophages
Phages and bacteriophages are viruses that are genetically coded to only kill certain types of bacteria. Different types of phages kill different types of bacteria, and phages are naturally created in nature. Phage populations outnumber all other organisms combined. Phages are not very visible, as they can only be detected with the use of very powerful microscopic machines.
Antibiotic Resistance
As we reviewed previously, antibiotics are drugs that are used to eliminate bacteria. Before antibiotics were created, many individuals died from bacterial infections, like during the Black Plague. In the 1900s, antibiotics became very effective, and they are regularly used around the world to this day. Unfortunately, superbugs like MRSA have formed due to the various mutations that bacteria are able to create. Scientists have been looking into different strategies in order to eliminate the resistance that bacteria are able to form, but not much success has been found. Right now, about 700,000 people die each year from the harm caused by superbugs. By 2050, this number is expected to rise above 10 million per year.
How is this happening?
#1: Misuse
Antibiotics are often prescribed when they are not needed, which leads to a high rate of resistance in a shorter time. Sometimes, it may be better for your body to fight a bacterial infection, as bacterial resistance is able to develop very quickly.
#2- Overuse
Similar to misuse, bacteria are often prescribed when they are not needed, which is harmful to bacterial resistance. Fighting off infection without the use of antibiotics may be very helpful for your immune system, as your own immune system will be able to fight back faster against future bacterial infections.
#3: Unique features of bacteria
Bacteria have many unique biological features that allow them to avoid the effects of antibiotics. After mutating, bacteria are able to pump antibiotics out of their cells, similar to antibiotics. Bacteria are also able to transfer their mutation genes very quickly, which allows for mutations to reproduce and take over the infected area.
Creation of Phage Therapy
Phage therapy was created by Felix d'Herelle in 1917. Phages were used in the Second World War, where the Soviet Union used bacteriophages to treat sick soldiers. After this time period, phage research gained traction once again in the 1980s, when the effects of bacterial resistance were finally showing in humans. Research on phage therapy has been very slow, as there have only been a handful of trials done on humans.
The Case of Tom Patterson
Tom Paterson is one of those individuals who received phage therapy, and the effects were supportive. Tom, who was a farmer, became infected with a superbug and was near the verge of death. His wife, Steffanie, who was an epidemiologist, decided to convince many doctors from across the country to collect phage samples from different locations, such as swamps and lakes. After a cocktail was created, Tom was injected with the phage cocktail, which slowly led to his full recovery.
Limitations of Phage Therapy
There are plenty of reasons why phage therapy is not a regular treatment given to the public. The first reason is due to the resistance that bacteria already have towards phage attacks, as they have lived together on this earth for millions of years. Phages are also very difficult to find, as they are only about 20 nanometers in length. Phages can be found anywhere on earth, and the ability of phages to only kill one type of bacteria is a major setback for the future of phage therapy. The dosage size is very difficult to determine for phages, as there has been such limited research on the treatment. This makes it very difficult for future treatments to occur, as the metrics and variables for dosage have not yet been determined. Lastly, the transition to phage therapy is very difficult for the world, especially in poor countries. Third-world countries have just recently been given access to antibiotics, and the use of phage therapy requires much more technology than many of these locations can support. Phage therapy will remain a difficult process for many decades to come.
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