In: Biology
What is phage therapy e.g in the fight against diseases
Phage Therapy is the therapeutic use of bacteriophages to treat pathogenic bacterial infections. Bacterial Host Specificity. The bacterial host range of phage is generally narrower than that found in the antibiotics that have been selected for clinical applications.
e.g. They exclusively attack bacteria and lyse them (“bacteria eaters”). ... After adsorption to the bacterial surface, the phage injects its nucleic acid into the bacterium that will now be forced to produce a new phage generation by using the bacterial enzyme equipment.Very specific (i.e., usually affect only the targeted bacterial species); therefore, dysbiosis and chances of developing secondary infections are avoided
. Replicate at the site of infection and are thus available where they are most needed .No serious side effects have been described.Phage-resistant bacteria remain susceptible to other phages having a similar target range.Selecting new phages (e.g., against phage-resistant bacteria) is a relatively rapid process that can frequently be accomplished in days or weeks.