Bacteriophages: A Solution to Antimicrobial Resistance?
One of the most daunting challenges in medicine is the increase in antimicrobial resistance, threatening to unravel years of scientific progress. Bacteria have evolved to resist the once-reliable therapies researched by an uncountable number of academics worldwide. The overuse and misuse of antimicrobial treatments has contributed to the development and rate of resistance within the environment.
Resistant infections are much more challenging to treat, which leads to higher mortality rates and prolonged illnesses. Common infections that were once easily managed with antibiotics now pose a greater threat to public health. This leads to increased healthcare costs, longer stays in hospital, and lessened productivity due to long-term illnesses. Alongside this, routine medical procedures, surgeries, and organ transplantations become infinitely riskier without reliable antibiotics; previously manageable infections become life-threatening complications. This is a global health issue. The ease of international travel means that resistant genes can be transported worldwide.
Bacteriophages are viruses that aim to infect bacteria. Their structure remains consistent, comprising of a protein coat (capsid) around genetic material (DNA or RNA), and some also possess a tail structure to aid in attachment to their host cell. The phages that may have a role as an antibacterial, are lytic phages. These infect bacterial cells and replicate within them until the host cell bursts, releasing new phages into the environment.
Phage therapy has gained attention as a potential alternative, or complementary therapy for traditional antibiotics. Phages target different strains of bacteria which allows them to be tailored to different infections, a type of precision that antibiotics lack.
Bacteriophages could also be employed in the food industry to combat contamination with harmful bacteria, to reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses. There is also exciting research into their use as diagnostic tools for the rapid detection of bacterial infections. Their specificity allows for the development of sensitive and precise diagnostic assays.
While bacteriophages hold huge amounts of promise, challenges such as host specificity, phage-resistance development, and protocol standardization are all areas that need to be explored and fully understood prior to the implementation of phages as a therapeutic agent.
Phages provide a glimpse into innovative solutions for antimicrobial resistant infections and the future seems bright with the continued exploration of their therapeutic potential. There is a resurgence of interest in phage-based solutions as science advances and our ability to investigate them improves.
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By Dr Stephanie Jones On 1st April I caught up with Dr Sue Lim in the latest in my series of “Conversations with Leaders in our Industry”. Dr Lim is an experienced former FDA director and licensed physician with around 2 decades of global drug development experience....
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Continuing my (Dr Jones’) series of conversations with leaders in our industry, I caught up with Professor Alan Boyd before Easter. Some of you will know him as the former President of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine, some will know him as the entrepreneur who created @Boyds and others will know him as an engaging and expert mentor, dedicated to training and empowering the next generation of people working in the pharmaceutical industry.
In our conversation we discussed topics as wide-ranging as:
• Reflections on 45 years as a medic
• Some of the medicines he has helped to bring to patients, and the lessons learned along the way
• His past life as an actor!
• The latest crusade: supporting others to become Fellows of the Faculty and the Royal College of Physicians
• Some of Alan’s work behind the scenes to improve our health
• Being a “Super-networker”!
Understanding Gaucher Disease
Gaucher disease is a rare genetic disorder caused by a deficiency in the enzyme glucocerebrosidase, leading to a harmful buildup of fat in cells. This causes symptoms like enlarged organs, bone pain, and, in some cases, neurological impairment. Current treatments offer relief but come with limitations such as inconvenient infusions, side effects, and the inability to address neurological symptoms. Read on to discover the promising new developments bringing hope for this rare disease…
