http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/267573.php
Bacteria killing virus –
this can be helpful to fight some of the superbugs!
We are constantly looking for the ways and means to
fight the superbugs. Now there seems to be a potential new victory in the war
against antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" lies in the discovery of
specific viruses that eat bacteria - called bacteriophages. Researchers in the
UK have isolated certain phages, which have been shown to target the infectious
hospital bug Clostridium
difficile. C.
diff, as the superbug is known, is responsible for 250,000 infections in the
US each year and results in 14,000 deaths, the researchers say. Causing excess
medical costs of $1 billion each year, finding a solution to this problem is
one of both medical and economic importance. Dr. Martha Clokie, from the
University of Leicester's Department of Infection, Immunity and Infection, has
been studying how naturally occurring bacteriophages - which means "eaters
of bacteria" - could serve as an alternative to antibiotics. Though Dr. Clokie gives credit to the important role antibiotics
have played in saving lives, she says new treatments are needed: "Less than a
century following their discovery, the future impact of antibiotics is
dwindling at a pace that no one anticipated, with more and more bacteria
out-smarting and 'out-evolving' these miracle drugs. This has re-energized the
search for new treatments."Unlike antibiotics, Dr. Clokie
says phages "are specific in what they kill," noting that they
usually infect only one specific species or strain of bacteria.By injecting
their DNA into the bacterium, she notes that phages then replicate and cause
the bacterial cell to "burst open." Once the dead bacterium is
opened, the phages can then repeat the process on other host cells. Maintaining gut bacteria balance: What
is so remarkable about the research team's finding is that they were able to
isolate and characterize 26 distinct phages - the biggest set of C.
diff phages that are currently known.These phages infect strains of C. diff that are
"clinically relevant," and they have been proven to be effective
against 90% of the strains currently seen in the UK. Dr. Clokie says:"C.
diff bacteria primarily affect our digestive system. Whilst relatively
innocuous in individuals with a healthy gut flora, they pose a serious threat
when our natural digestive environment is disrupted or depleted, such as after
chronic antibiotic use." She notes that the ability of phages to only infect and
kill a specific type of bacteria is "particularly important" when
dealing with C. diff infections, because keeping the balance of gut bacteria
"greatly reduces the chance of relapse."Clinical trials soon, Dr.
Clokie's phages have been licensed by a US biopharmaceutical company called
AmpliPhi Biosciences Corporation, and together, they aim to have a mixture of
C. diff phages ready for phase I and II clinical trials in the near future. The
company, which has developed phage-based therapeutics, is funding further
development and testing of these phages. Dr. Clokie and colleagues from the
University of Leicester will work with scientists from the University of
Glasgow in Scotland to analyze the efficacy of the phages in treating
infections. The work has been predominantly funded by the Medical Research
Council (MRC), and Dr. Des Walsh, head of Infections and Immunity at the MRC,
says that Dr. Clokie "has established an impressive collection of phage
viruses and has developed strong partnerships to translate her research into
potential new treatments for Clostridium difficile infection."
"Ultimately," says Dr. Clokie, "I hope this
will pave the way for a greater use of bacteriophages in the wider, global
fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria." When asked how long until patients might begin to see
benefits from her research, Dr. Clokie told "If
all goes well," she added, "we could see a product in 5-10
years."
