How viruses can help fight antibiotic-resistant infections
So-called phage therapy could be the next big thing
First, the bad news: Thanks to repeated drug exposure, climate change and air pollution, some infections are developing resistance to antibiotics, a problem that could have global repercussions as diseases become stronger and more prevalent. The good news? Scientists are currently considering an unexpected solution.
Researchers are looking to bacteriophages, or viruses that specifically target bacteria, to help cure infections. "Phages are the most abundant biological form on the planet," microbiologist Bryan Gibb, an associate professor of biological and chemical sciences, told News Medical. "These naturally occurring viruses are professional bacterial assassins." Experts in the medical field have become more invested in so-called phage therapy as antibiotics meanwhile become less effective.
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