Phages Help with “Nightmare” Infections
Bacterial pathogens are increasingly failing to respond to antibiotics. In such cases, phage therapy can sometimes help, as a study demonstrates. A clinical trial is currently being prepared in Germany.
Phage therapy can help combat difficult-to-treat bacterial infections. In a study, an international research team treated a total of 20 patients using so-called bacteriophages—viruses that kill bacteria. All participants had extremely persistent bacterial infections. The therapy was successful in eleven patients, reports the group led by Graham Hatfull from the University of Pittsburgh in the journal “Clinical Infectious Diseases”. No side effects occurred.
