Guest guest Posted December 31, 2000 Report Share Posted December 31, 2000 BACTERIOPHAGE Bacteriophage are bacterial viruses (or " bacteria-eaters " ). They are viruses that infect specific bacteria and destroy them. A bacteriophage virus infects a host bacterial cell by attaching itself to the surface of a bacterial cell and then injecting its viral nucleic acid into the cell. Hundreds of new bacteriophage virus particles are then formed within the bacterial cell as the virus replicates itself. The bacterial cell is then destroyed, releasing the new bacteriophage viruses to infect other bacterial cells. The process is repeated within the bacterial cell population about every 20 minutes until the bacteria are eliminated. Bacteriophage theraputic products have been used successfully in other countries for decades for the treatment of various infections. The advent of antibiotics virtually stopped bacteriophage research in North America. However bacteriophage were and are used successfully in many countries. More recently, bacteriophage research has played a key role in the development of modern biotechnology and molecular genetics. PhageTx is using the knowledge gained over past decades to provide solutions to the emerging threat of antibiotic-resistant infections. The resulting pharmaceutical preparations are anticipated to be used in the US and throughout the world. HISTORY Bacterial viruses were discovered in 1915 by Frederick Twort and independently by Felix d'Herelle in 1917. It was d'Herelle who gave them the name bacteriophage, envisioned their therapeutic potential and conducted the first bacteriophage therapy experiments by treating patients suffering from dysentery. This was during the pre-antibiotic era when common bacterial infections threatened life and limb. The discovery of an agent that could be used to kill bacteria was heralded as one of the greatest medical developments of the twentieth century. In the following two decades bacteriophage were the subject of considerable laboratory and clinical investigation. An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1933 indicates the degree of interest at the time: " Bacteriophage therapy is now widely used for many types of bacterial infections. In the United States at present there are three well known pharmaceutical companies manufacturing bacteriophage and offering it to the medical profession. " (JAMA 100(3):110-113, 1933). Later, due to their relative simplicity and ease of growth in the laboratory, bacteriophage were adopted as a model system to study the molecular basis of genetics, giving rise to the science of molecular biology. Many of the uncertainties that prevented the complete success of bacteriophage therapy decades earlier were clarified. While molecular biologists were developing a wealth of information about bacteriophage, the medical community observed that pathogenic bacteria were becoming resistant to antibiotics. As antibiotic resistance grew more common, researchers in Britain, Poland, the Soviet Union and the USA re-visited the use of bacteriophage to treat bacterial infections. British studies published from 1982- 1987 reported successful bacteriophage therapy against E. coli infections induced in mice and calves. They concluded from their tests that bacteriophage therapy was superior to antibiotics. Researchers in the US demonstrated that bacteriophage were capable of adapting in such a way as to avoid being rapidly cleared from the blood stream by the immune system. OT: Phages > I had seen an interesting documentary once regarding the use of phages > rather than antibiotics. What I understood was that phages are > naturally occuring enemies of bacteria and that for each and every > bacteria a phage occurs that will kill it. WITHOUT SIDE EFFECTS. > Also, whenever a " super-bug " emerges, a " super-phage " emerges right > along with it. It was/is used primarily in Georgia (Russia).....and > that they never use antibiotics. It has been used successfully for > about 50 years. It was reported that it was little known of because > the literature regarding the usage was not in english. > Does anyone know anything about this?? > in Canada > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 31, 2000 Report Share Posted December 31, 2000 How can we find out what specific phages are used for what specific bacterial illness/infections?...Sharon OT: Phages > > > > I had seen an interesting documentary once regarding the use of phages > > rather than antibiotics. What I understood was that phages are > > naturally occuring enemies of bacteria and that for each and every > > bacteria a phage occurs that will kill it. WITHOUT SIDE EFFECTS. > > Also, whenever a " super-bug " emerges, a " super-phage " emerges right > > along with it. It was/is used primarily in Georgia (Russia).....and > > that they never use antibiotics. It has been used successfully for > > about 50 years. It was reported that it was little known of because > > the literature regarding the usage was not in english. > > Does anyone know anything about this?? > > in Canada > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 1, 2001 Report Share Posted January 1, 2001 wrote: > I had seen an interesting documentary once regarding the use of phages > rather than antibiotics. What I understood was that phages are > naturally occuring enemies of bacteria and that for each and every > bacteria a phage occurs that will kill it. WITHOUT SIDE EFFECTS. > Also, whenever a " super-bug " emerges, a " super-phage " emerges right > along with it. It was/is used primarily in Georgia (Russia).....and > that they never use antibiotics. It has been used successfully for > about 50 years. It was reported that it was little known of because > the literature regarding the usage was not in english. > Does anyone know anything about this?? I know that macrophages are cells in the body that generally gobble up any debris, including dead cells, foreign particles and bacteria, but they are unspecific. I'd be curious to know more about this too. Are these phages synthetic? Or are they being taken from the body somehow? > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 1, 2001 Report Share Posted January 1, 2001 > > I know that macrophages are cells in the body that generally gobble up any > debris, including dead cells, foreign particles and bacteria, but they are > unspecific. I'd be curious to know more about this too. Are these phages > synthetic? Or are they being taken from the body somehow? > > *************** From what i understood from the documentary...and that article posted after my question (thank you by the way mianne)...they occur naturally wherever bacteria are present. I didnt know they were viruses but it makes sense. The hospital in Georgia where they were being used would look at their stockpile of samples and culture them from that whenever anything cropped up. They could be applied, ingested and or given through enemas (ick) depending on the problem...it wasnt specific here. If anything cropped up that they had not seen before (such as " super bugs) they would literally collect a sample of the hospitals sewer water and apply it with a dropper to the bacteria sample cultured. Anywhere where there was a sharp break in the spread of bacteria (in the petrie dish) they would know that a phage existed that was capable of destroying that particular bacteria. They would then culture that phage use it to treat the patient and store it for future use.....interesting huh? The problem was with the war in Georgia, the samples were being destroyed...not on purpose but as another victem of war. There had been a US company that was picking up on the phage research, but they had dropped out of it an afterward informed the watchers of the documentary. Financial reasons i beleive. Anyways, thanks for the information. I find it interesting,, and hopeful, because it sounded more " natural " and less synthetic. in Canada > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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