Phage Therapy: Past, Present and Future

Phage Therapy: Past, Present and Future PDF Author: Stephen T. Abedon
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
ISBN: 2889452514
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 394

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Book Description
Historically, the first observation of a transmissible lytic agent that is specifically active against a bacterium (Bacillus anthracis) was by a Russian microbiologist Nikolay Gamaleya in 1898. At that time, however, it was too early to make a connection to another discovery made by Dmitri Ivanovsky in 1892 and Martinus Beijerinck in 1898 on a non-bacterial pathogen infecting tobacco plants. Thus the viral world was discovered in two of the three domains of life, and our current understanding is that viruses represent the most abundant biological entities on the planet. The potential of bacteriophages for infection treatment have been recognized after the discoveries by Frederick Twort and Felix d’Hérelle in 1915 and 1917. Subsequent phage therapy developments, however, have been overshadowed by the remarkable success of antibiotics in infection control and treatment, and phage therapy research and development persisted mostly in the former Soviet Union countries, Russia and Georgia, as well as in France and Poland. The dramatic rise of antibiotic resistance and especially of multi-drug resistance among human and animal bacterial pathogens, however, challenged the position of antibiotics as a single most important pillar for infection control and treatment. Thus there is a renewed interest in phage therapy as a possible additive/alternative therapy, especially for the infections that resist routine antibiotic treatment. The basis for the revival of phage therapy is affected by a number of issues that need to be resolved before it can enter the arena, which is traditionally reserved for antibiotics. Probably the most important is the regulatory issue: How should phage therapy be regulated? Similarly to drugs? Then the co-evolving nature of phage-bacterial host relationship will be a major hurdle for the production of consistent phage formulae. Or should we resort to the phage products such as lysins and the corresponding engineered versions in order to have accurate and consistent delivery doses? We still have very limited knowledge about the pharmacodynamics of phage therapy. More data, obtained in animal models, are necessary to evaluate the phage therapy efficiency compared, for example, to antibiotics. Another aspect is the safety of phage therapy. How do phages interact with the immune system and to what costs, or benefits? What are the risks, in the course of phage therapy, of transduction of undesirable properties such as virulence or antibiotic resistance genes? How frequent is the development of bacterial host resistance during phage therapy? Understanding these and many other aspects of phage therapy, basic and applied, is the main subject of this Topic.

Phage Therapy: Past, Present and Future

Phage Therapy: Past, Present and Future PDF Author: Stephen T. Abedon
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
ISBN: 2889452514
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 394

Get Book Here

Book Description
Historically, the first observation of a transmissible lytic agent that is specifically active against a bacterium (Bacillus anthracis) was by a Russian microbiologist Nikolay Gamaleya in 1898. At that time, however, it was too early to make a connection to another discovery made by Dmitri Ivanovsky in 1892 and Martinus Beijerinck in 1898 on a non-bacterial pathogen infecting tobacco plants. Thus the viral world was discovered in two of the three domains of life, and our current understanding is that viruses represent the most abundant biological entities on the planet. The potential of bacteriophages for infection treatment have been recognized after the discoveries by Frederick Twort and Felix d’Hérelle in 1915 and 1917. Subsequent phage therapy developments, however, have been overshadowed by the remarkable success of antibiotics in infection control and treatment, and phage therapy research and development persisted mostly in the former Soviet Union countries, Russia and Georgia, as well as in France and Poland. The dramatic rise of antibiotic resistance and especially of multi-drug resistance among human and animal bacterial pathogens, however, challenged the position of antibiotics as a single most important pillar for infection control and treatment. Thus there is a renewed interest in phage therapy as a possible additive/alternative therapy, especially for the infections that resist routine antibiotic treatment. The basis for the revival of phage therapy is affected by a number of issues that need to be resolved before it can enter the arena, which is traditionally reserved for antibiotics. Probably the most important is the regulatory issue: How should phage therapy be regulated? Similarly to drugs? Then the co-evolving nature of phage-bacterial host relationship will be a major hurdle for the production of consistent phage formulae. Or should we resort to the phage products such as lysins and the corresponding engineered versions in order to have accurate and consistent delivery doses? We still have very limited knowledge about the pharmacodynamics of phage therapy. More data, obtained in animal models, are necessary to evaluate the phage therapy efficiency compared, for example, to antibiotics. Another aspect is the safety of phage therapy. How do phages interact with the immune system and to what costs, or benefits? What are the risks, in the course of phage therapy, of transduction of undesirable properties such as virulence or antibiotic resistance genes? How frequent is the development of bacterial host resistance during phage therapy? Understanding these and many other aspects of phage therapy, basic and applied, is the main subject of this Topic.

The Perfect Predator

The Perfect Predator PDF Author: Steffanie Strathdee
Publisher: Hachette Books
ISBN: 0316418072
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 355

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Book Description
An electrifying memoir of one woman's extraordinary effort to save her husband's life-and the discovery of a forgotten cure that has the potential to save millions more. "A memoir that reads like a thriller." -New York Times Book Review "A fascinating and terrifying peek into the devastating outcomes of antibiotic misuse-and what happens when standard health care falls short." -Scientific American Epidemiologist Steffanie Strathdee and her husband, psychologist Tom Patterson, were vacationing in Egypt when Tom came down with a stomach bug. What at first seemed like a case of food poisoning quickly turned critical, and by the time Tom had been transferred via emergency medevac to the world-class medical center at UC San Diego, where both he and Steffanie worked, blood work revealed why modern medicine was failing: Tom was fighting one of the most dangerous, antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the world. Frantic, Steffanie combed through research old and new and came across phage therapy: the idea that the right virus, aka "the perfect predator," can kill even the most lethal bacteria. Phage treatment had fallen out of favor almost 100 years ago, after antibiotic use went mainstream. Now, with time running out, Steffanie appealed to phage researchers all over the world for help. She found allies at the FDA, researchers from Texas A&M, and a clandestine Navy biomedical center -- and together they resurrected a forgotten cure. A nail-biting medical mystery, The Perfect Predator is a story of love and survival against all odds, and the (re)discovery of a powerful new weapon in the global superbug crisis.

Bacteriophages in Health and Disease

Bacteriophages in Health and Disease PDF Author: Paul Hyman
Publisher: CABI
ISBN: 1845939840
Category : Medical
Languages : it
Pages : 296

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Book Description
Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria; as such, they have many potential uses for promoting health and combating disease. This book covers the many facets of phage-bacterial-human interaction in three sections: the role and impact of phages on natural bacterial communities, the potential to develop phage-based therapeutics and other aspects in which phages can be used to combat disease, including bacterial detection, bacterial epidemiology, the tracing of fecal contamination of water and decontamination of foods.

Phage Therapy: A Practical Approach

Phage Therapy: A Practical Approach PDF Author: Andrzej Górski
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030267369
Category : Medical
Languages : it
Pages : 384

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Book Description
This book gives a detailed yet clear insight into the current state of the art of the therapeutic application of bacteriophages in different conditions. The authors bring in their practical expertise within their respective fields of expertise and provide an excellent overview of the potential and actual use of phage therapy. Topics like economic feasibility compared to traditional antibiotics and also regulatory issues are discussed in far detail. This new volume is therefore a valuable resource for individuals engaged in the medical application of novel phage therapies.

Bacteriophages

Bacteriophages PDF Author: David R. Harper
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3319419862
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 1376

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Book Description
This first major reference work dedicated to the mannifold industrial and medical applications of bacteriophages provides both theoretical and practical insights into the emerging field of bacteriophage biotechnology. The book introduces to bacteriophage biology, ecology and history and reviews the latest technologies and tools in bacteriophage detection, strain optimization and nanotechnology. Usage of bacteriophages in food safety, agriculture, and different therapeutic areas is discussed in detail. This book serves as essential guide for researchers in applied microbiology, biotechnology and medicine coming from both academia and industry.

Bacteriophage Ecology

Bacteriophage Ecology PDF Author: Stephen T. Abedon
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139471945
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 457

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Book Description
Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect bacteria and are believed to be the most abundant and genetically diverse organisms on Earth. As such, their ecology is vast both in quantitative and qualitative terms. Their abundance makes an understanding of phage ecology increasingly relevant to bacterial ecosystem ecology, bacterial genomics and bacterial pathology. Abedon provides the first text on phage ecology for almost 20 years. Written by leading experts, synthesizing the three key approaches to studying phage ecology, namely studying them in natural environments (in situ), experimentally in the lab, or theoretically using mathematical or computer models. With strong emphasis on microbial population biology and distilling cutting-edge research into basic principles, this book will complement other currently available volumes. It will therefore serve as an essential resource for graduate students and researchers, particularly those with an interest in phage ecology and evolutionary biology.

Inflammation

Inflammation PDF Author: Andrzej Górski
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9781402000867
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description
This book represents an excellent, updated review on selected topics, ideas, hypotheses, and therapeutic strategies in the aetiology and pathogenesis of inflammatory phenomena. The introductory article reveals the nature of the immune status of critically ill patients and proposes the usefulness of immuno-stimulating therapy. The next series of articles deals with the role of cytokines in mediating cell functions in immunity and inflammation. The complexity of the prostaglandin function, the pathogenesis of allergic diseases and their control, as well as the inflammatory response to Mycobacteria, are critically evaluated. In addition, therapeutic strategies in infection and inflammation, including application of cytokines and anti-apoptotic factors, are proposed. These also include phage therapy, whose renaissance is associated with the recent worsening problem of resistance to antibiotics. The book is addressed to scientists involved in biomedical research, hospital doctors, and medical students interested in the immunology of inflammation.

A Literature Review of the Practical Application of Bacteriophage Research

A Literature Review of the Practical Application of Bacteriophage Research PDF Author: Nina Chanishvili
Publisher: Nova Science Publishers
ISBN: 9781621008514
Category : Bacterial diseases
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Bacteriophage is a live micro-organism, a natural enemy of bacteria. Canadian microbiologist Felix d'Herelle proposed that bacteriophage might be applied to the control of bacterial diseases, however in the West this idea was not explored with the same enthusiasm as in the former Soviet Union and was eventually discarded with the arrival of antibiotics. Phage therapy is successfully used for the treatment of a wide spectrum of bacterial infections. Such experience has now become extremely important with the rapidly-increasing spread of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections which are almost impossible to overcome these days. Phage therapy has been considered as an alternative to antibiotic- therapy and it is now attracting global interest. Most of the scientific works in phage therapy were published in Russian and are thus not easily available in the West. This fact inspired the authors to write a book based on the historical publications found in the library of the Eliava Institute.

Rising Plague

Rising Plague PDF Author: Brad Spellberg, M.D.
Publisher: Prometheus Books
ISBN: 1615929487
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 266

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Book Description
Spellberg's book is a powerful and compelling journey into the antibiotic resistance problem . . . [written] in a personal, compelling, and easy-to-understand manner. It's a must read.--Michael Osterholm, M.D., author of "Living Terrors."

Bacteriophages and Biofilms

Bacteriophages and Biofilms PDF Author: Stephen T. Abedon
Publisher: Nova Biomedical Books
ISBN: 9781617615887
Category : Bacteria
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Bacteriophages (phages) are the viruses of bacteria and biofilms that represent a frequent niche for bacteria, where they are embedded in extensive extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and can be structured into complex microcolonies. As a consequence of the resulting spatial structure and heterogeneity, phage-bacterial interactions within biofilms can be more complicated than those between phages and planktonic bacteria. This book presents and discusses research which provides a better understanding of the biology of phages interacting with biofilms.