Question

What are potential advantages of phage therapy over traditional antibiotic treatment of an infection?

Answer 1

Phage therapy is the therapeutic use of bacteriophages to treat bacterial infections.

1) Bacteriophages are very specific and target only specific strains of bacteria whereas traditional antibiotics have wide-range effect that can kill harmful bacteria as well as useful bacteria also. Bacteriophages specificity will not kill useful bacteria and fight only against infection.

2) Unlike antibiotics, bacteriophages are self-replicating and self-limiting so can replicate as long as kill specific bacteria. With a decrease in infected bacteria, the number of phages declines and eliminated. So depending on infection, single dose can be sufficient.

3) Bacteria can develop resistance to phages but phages have a higher mutation and replication rate, so they can develop resistance.

4) Phages are advantageous for localized use as they penetrate deeper as long as the infection and antibiotics decrease in concentration below the surface.

5) Phages do not develop secondary resistance that is present in antibiotics.

6) Phages are effective in many situations where antibiotics are generally ineffective. For example, treating antibiotic-resistant bacteria or bacteria within a biofilm.