Phages (red) attack bacteria (green). (Image credit: nobeastsofierce via Shutterstock)
If bacteria were to list their own insurance factors, phages would surely be at the top. These viruses have evolved to find, infect, and destroy them, and have done so for billions of years. This ancient war is now providing clues about how we can combat antibiotic-resistant infections.
As more bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics, previously curable infections are becoming increasingly difficult to treat, and in some cases, untreatable. This crisis, known as antimicrobial resistance (AMR), causes more than a million deaths worldwide each year, and the number is growing rapidly. The World Health Organization has named AMR one of the top ten threats to public health.
Phage therapy – using phages to treat bacterial infections – is being considered as a possible solution. Phages are highly specific and can even target drug-resistant strains. In some cases where phages have been used in the UK on compassionate grounds, they have successfully cleared infections when antibiotics have failed. However, phages still face a problem that is often overlooked: the bacteria themselves.
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Sourse: www.livescience.com
