Due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) the world is now rediscovering bacteriophages and much relevant research is ongoing in many countries.
About Bacteriophages:
Bacteriophages are ‘good viruses’ that naturally prey on bacteria.
They are all around us, in the water, in the soil, in our gut, on our skin, etc. There are believed to be 10-times as many phages as bacteria on the earth.
Unlike an antibiotic, which may be able to kill many species of bacteria, phages may only kill a few strains of a particular bacterium.
All bacteriophages are composed of a nucleic acid molecule that is surrounded by a protein structure.
The nucleic acid may be either DNA or RNA, and it may be double-stranded or single-stranded.
There are two main strategies that have been used in treating patients by using Bacteriophages
One, isolate the bacteria from the infected tissue, check which phage works against it in the lab, grow more of that phage and administer it to the patient.
These phages may come from a phage bank of one’s own or in very serious cases one may even ask phage banks elsewhere in the world for help. These are natural phages.
Second. genetically engineered phages, which have been modified in the lab toexpand the variety of bacteria they can kill.
Uses: Phages have been used for burns, foot ulcers, gut infections, respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, etc.
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