, leading an international team of researchers, present encouraging findings from the largest case series of patients treated with bacteriophage treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections.
Viruses known as bacteriophages have developed to specifically target and destroy certain bacterial species or strains. Wherever bacteria live, phages may be found in greater numbers than all other living forms combined. They were first identified in the early 20th century, and since then, as antibiotic-resistant bacteria have grown and spread, more and more research has been done on them to determine their medicinal potential.
The new study involved a cohort of 20 patients with complex, antibiotic-refractory mycobacterial infections. All of the patients exhibited varying underlying conditions; most had cystic fibrosis , an inherited, progressive disease that causes severe damage to the lungs and other organs. Currently, there is no cure for CF. The average lifespan for persons with CF who live to adulthood is approximately 44 years.
Patients were monitored for adverse effects, signs of symptomatic improvement or reduced bacterial presence, the emergence of phage resistance, and/or neutralization of phages by the patients’ immune systems.The authors reported no adverse reactions to phage therapy in any of the patients, regardless of the type of bacterial infection, types of phages used, or method of treatment. Eleven of the 20 patients displayed some measure of symptom improvement or reduced bacterial presence.
First, he said, it underscored the need to expand significantly the repertoire of useful phages, whether developing them from isolated strains or creating synthetic versions, an emerging enterprise.