What is a phage therapy?

phage therapy is the possibility of treating bacterial infections, which includes the introduction of organisms known as bacteriophages into the body. These organisms kill bacteria and solve infection. This treatment is considered experimental in many regions of the world, although scientists seek to learn more about it and demonstrate potential applications and limitation of phage therapy. The documented use of phage therapy dates back to the First World War, when the technique was used to treat soldiers. Infections of battle wounds and poor conditions in the trenches were the main problem for many nations fighting in the war and phage therapy was one of many techniques developed during this war in an effort to reduce mortality for soldiers. Unlike antibiotics that have a more general effect, phages are focused specifically on the narrow range of bacterial species. They do not cause damage to the collateral of beneficial bacteria in the body and healthy cells, and as a result, phage therapy is not associated with side effects. Fags can also be used to treat bacteria thatThey are resistant to antibiotics, and while bacteria can develop resistance to phase, it is easy to develop new phages that compensate, unlike the long development period for new antibiotics.

The primary disadvantage of phage therapies is its very narrow applications. In patients with bacterial infections, the patient's samples must be cultivated and then tested with several potential bacteriophages to determine which of them to reduce bacteria most effectively. This may cause phage therapy to be expensive and time -consuming, unlike antibiotic therapy, in which drugs are often administered at the first symptom of the infection to start to start immediately.

In order to be approved for use in places such as the United States and Europe, the phage therapy must be tested for safety and efficiency and subjected to the drug review processto evaluate other drugs. This process can take years and sometimes decades, because security concerns are paramount. This is interested in several research institutions and has launched pilot programs on a small scale, and with the rise of bacteria resistant to antibiotics, the main organizations of biological research and pharmaceutical companies can join the research community of phage therapy.