After struggling with a persistent bacterial blood infection that did not respond to traditional medications, the patient agreed to try phage therapy.
In an astonishingly short period of just 24 hours after receiving phage therapy, the patient’s blood infection showed significant improvement, allowing her to be discharged and return home. Afterwards, the patient maintained the combined regimen of phage therapy and antibiotics in her home environment.
The patient encountered sporadic instances of infections that were brief in duration, indicating that the bacteria may have found a way to bypass the treatment.
As a result, scientists have discovered another phage that specifically targets the bacteria strain found in the patient.
After incorporating the new phage into the treatment protocol, the patient experienced a period of four months without any blood infection.
This allowed her to enjoy a family beach vacation in another state.
Phages: Viral Warriors Against Bacterial Invaders
Bacteriophages, commonly referred to as ‘phages,’ are viruses that specifically target and infect bacteria, resulting in their destruction as they reproduce.
They exhibit a high degree of specificity, often targeting particular bacterial strains without affecting other bacteria or harming human cells.
Phages are abundant in various environments, ranging from water and soil to the human body, with wastewater from sewage treatment facilities serving as a common reservoir for isolating new phages.
In medical practice, the interest in phage therapy has grown, particularly as a last resort against severe bacterial infections that do not respond to conventional treatments.
However, due to the lack of standardization and approval by the FDA, access to phage therapy remains limited.
Nonetheless, numerous clinical trials, including those conducted at the University of Pittsburgh, are underway to ascertain its safety and effectiveness.
The patient described in the case study was a 57-year-old woman with a complex medical history, including an autoimmune condition necessitating immunosuppressive therapy.
Over the course of her medical journey, she developed colonization of her gut by drug-resistant E. faecium, which subsequently led to recurrent bloodstream infections requiring numerous and prolonged hospitalizations from 2013 to 2020.
Following an extended hospital stay in late 2020, during which conventional antibiotics proved ineffective, doctors recommended phage therapy as a potential alternative.
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