Bacteria-Eating Viruses 'Magic Bullets in the War On Superbugs'
41 replies, posted
[url]http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131016212558.htm[/url]
[IMG]http://images.sciencedaily.com/2013/10/131016212558.jpg[/IMG]
[QUOTE][B]A specialist team of scientists from the University of Leicester has isolated viruses that eat bacteria -- called phages -- to specifically target the highly infectious hospital superbug Clostridium difficile (C. diff).[/B]
Dr Clokie said: "Ever since the discovery of the first antibiotic, penicillin, antibiotics have been heralded as the 'silver bullets' of medicine. They have saved countless lives and impacted on the well-being of humanity.
"But less than a century following their discovery, the future impact of antibiotics is dwindling at a pace that no one anticipated, with more and more bacteria out-smarting and 'out-evolving' these miracle drugs. This has re-energised the search for new treatments.
"One alternative to antibiotics is bacteriophages, known as phages, which unlike antibiotics, are specific in what they kill and will generally only infect one particular species, or even strain, of bacteria -- referred to as the 'host'. Following attachment to their hosts, they inject their DNA into the bacterium, which then replicates many times over, ultimately causing the bacterial cell to burst open. The phages released from the dead bacterium can then infect other host cells."
Dr. Clokie and her team have achieved the remarkable feat of isolating and characterising the largest known set of distinct C. diff phages that infect clinically relevant strains of C. diff. Of these, a specific mixture of phages have been proved, through extensive laboratory testing, to be effective against 90% of the most clinically relevant C. diff strains currently seen in the U.K.
As a testament to their therapeutic potential, these phages, that are the subject of a patent application, have been licensed by AmpliPhi Biosciences Corporation -- a US-based biopharmaceutical company and pioneers in developing phage-based therapeutics. AmpliPhi have already made progress in developing phages targeted against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a pathogen that causes acute, life-threatening lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients. They were also the first biopharmaceutical company to demonstrate the effectiveness of Pseudomonas phages in controlled and regulated human clinical trials.
As part of this exciting collaboration, AmpliPhi are funding further development and testing of C. diff phages developed by Dr. Clokie. The goal is to have a phage mixture ready to go into phase 1 and 2 clinical trials. This will involve optimising phage-preparations for maximum efficacy against C. diff infections from around the globe and establishing production, storage and delivery systems for the phage mixture. Evaluations of the efficacy of bacteriophage therapy and optimisation of dosing regimes will be carried out in collaboration with the University of Glasgow, in the laboratory of Dr Gill Douce.
Dr Clokie said: "C. diff bacteria primarily affect our digestive system. Whilst relatively innocuous in individuals with a healthy gut flora, they pose a serious threat when our natural digestive environment is disrupted or depleted, such as after chronic antibiotic use. In such individuals, C. diff infections can cause severe diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration. Collectively, these symptoms can prove life threatening, particularly in elderly patients.
"In addition to killing the C. diff bacteria, antibiotics also destroy the 'good' gut bacteria, in turn increasing the potential for relapse or new infections. Consequently, C. diff infections pose a substantial healthcare burden for the NHS and a significant drain on its resources.
"The key advantage of using phages over antibiotics lies in their specificity. A phage will infect and kill only a specific strain/species of bacteria. This is particularly important when treating conditions like C. diff infections, where maintenance of the natural balance of gut bacteria greatly reduces the chance of relapse."
Phil Young, CEO and President of AmpliPhi, said "We are very excited about this partnership with Dr. Clokie and the University of Leicester. Phage-based therapy has the potential to revolutionise the way C. diff infections are treated in the clinic, in compliance with the regulatory frameworks already in place. We firmly believe that this collaboration may result in a treatment that could benefit patients, clinicians and health-care organisations alike."
Dr Des Walsh, Head of Infections and Immunity at the Medical Research Council, said: "Antibacterial resistance is a major and growing threat to health globally. New treatments and therapies are sorely needed. This study by Dr Clokie examines a new way to kill bacteria to circumvent resistance formation. She has established an impressive collection of "phage" viruses and has developed strong partnerships to translate her research into potential new treatments for Clostridium difficile infection -- an excellent example of moving basic experimental MRC funded research along the development pipeline."
"The use of phage-based therapy could eliminate the negative impact of antibiotics on the gut flora, minimise chances of relapse, provide patients with an effective, lasting safeguard against these life-threatening bacteria and relieve a substantial portion of the health-care and financial burden this superbug poses on the NHS. Ultimately, I hope this will pave the way for a greater use of bacteriophages in the wider, global fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria."[/QUOTE]
I can't see this going wrong at all.
[QUOTE=Zenreon117;42643608]I can't see this going wrong at all.[/QUOTE]
Well, we're fucked either way. I for one welcome our new viral overlords.
[QUOTE=Zenreon117;42643608]I can't see this going wrong at all.[/QUOTE]
Bacteriophages are pretty specialized for prokaryotic cells I think. The chances of them spreading to humans are incredibly low.
I'd be more worried about introducing another resistance or something accidentally.
[QUOTE=Zenreon117;42643608]I can't see this going wrong at all.[/QUOTE]
Can we drop the worry that somehow we're going to be chewing on eachother tomorrow suddenly?
That's really anti-science fear mongering at its best.
Bacteriophages are so cool. They look like some kind of alien doomsday walker thing.
10 cents says that this will go the way of Umbrella Corporation research. :v:
On a more serious note, we can try to invent new stuff and hope it works. If it does, well and good, if it doesn't, we're badly off in terms of drugs anyway, so the worst that can probably happen is square one.
I'm sure that eventually we'll have little nanobots in our blood stream that pokes holes in any unauthorized bacteria cell or viral agent.
[QUOTE=Reshy;42643688]I'm sure that eventually we'll have little nanobots in our blood stream that pokes holes in any unauthorized bacteria cell or viral agent.[/QUOTE]
[B]NEURON IDENTIFIED AS THREAT. ELIMINATING.[/B]
Quick, someone make a movie about this going horribly wrong.
But the bacteria will swell to such enormous size they will start claiming immobility disability benefits.
[QUOTE=anis;42643732]Quick, someone make a movie about this going horribly wrong.[/QUOTE]
There already is, it's called I Am Legend.
[QUOTE=Zenreon117;42643608]I can't see this going wrong at all.[/QUOTE]
they're already widely used
[QUOTE=Zenreon117;42643608]I can't see this going wrong at all.[/QUOTE]
Bacteriophages have been used for years and there's already a vaccine for Hepatitis B using them.
These are pretty safe things.
Basically they can be "vehicles" for DNA vaccines and are inert in eukaryotes.
It's also possible in the near future they can be made into oral vaccines, meaning you can take a pill and don't need an injection.
But can they make good smoothies?
[QUOTE=Sobotnik;42643830]Bacteriophages have been used for years and there's already a vaccine for Hepatitis B using them.
These are pretty safe things.
[/QUOTE]
That's exactly what a rouge bacteriophage would say
[QUOTE=Reshy;42643688]I'm sure that eventually we'll have little nanobots in our blood stream that pokes holes in any unauthorized bacteria cell or viral agent.[/QUOTE]
Nano machines!
Well this was a timely thread after the other one about how antibiotics are fucked.
[QUOTE=hypno-toad;42644098]That's exactly what a rouge bacteriophage would say[/QUOTE]
No we're pretty safe.
So, assuming I'm not misinterpreting here, the near-future of fighting bacteria is going to be nanobots? Specifically, nanobots created by nature rather than by us humans?
That's pretty fuckin' awesome. Reminds me of the insect with gear-legs, in the sense that nature has been routinely kicking our asses at inventing since before we even started, and we're only just finding out.
Nature has already created molecular self-replicating machines ;P also known as viruses.
Just look at that shit, Biological robots! [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-cellular_life[/url]
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/2kfpYGY.png[/IMG]
As long as it don't causes any problems within me, then I am for this... The fear of most of this is because of pop-culture and health fanatics, but once they are informed and witness the proof of this, most of that public fear will vanish, and soon it be pretty common knowledge... If this special bacteria can kill most of the viruses that goes though my system without causing major or any damage within my system, then it's pretty much golden and our resistance towards diseases and viral infections rises.
[QUOTE=darkedone02;42644415]As long as it don't causes any problems within me, then I am for this... The fear of most of this is because of pop-culture and health fanatics, but once they are informed and witness the proof of this, most of that public fear will vanish, and soon it be pretty common knowledge... If this special bacteria can kill most of the viruses that goes though my system without causing major or any damage within my system, then it's pretty much golden and our resistance towards diseases and viral infections rises.[/QUOTE]
You just got it all the wrong way round. This is a virus that fights bacteria, not a bacteria that fights viruses.
[QUOTE=Tengil;42644407]Nature has already created molecular self-replicating machines ;P also known as viruses.
Just look at that shit, Biological robots! [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-cellular_life[/url]
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/2kfpYGY.png[/IMG][/QUOTE]
these things are so fucking weird
why do they have legs when most life at that size are amorphous blobs ?
[QUOTE=Zenreon117;42643608]I can't see this going wrong at all.[/QUOTE]
Russia's been using/researching Phages since the 1920s. And they don't have the worries of superbugs as us pill-happy Americans.
what happens if they eat the goood bacteria?
[QUOTE=A_Pigeon;42645532]what happens if they eat the goood bacteria?[/QUOTE]
Then we modify the virus until it doesn't.
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