kk
BACTERIOPHAG
THERAPY
E OF
MRSA
“Phage therapy will certainly
have
a significant role in the future”
M.D. Naomi Hoyle, Eliava Phage Therapy
Center
B08IDT
BTDPC-2021
15-06-2020
, Introduction bacteriophage
Bacteriophages are the natural predators to bacteria; they are viruses
that infect and replicate within bacteria, destroying the bacteria in the
process. The name phage has derived from the Greek “φαγεῖν”, which
means: to devour. They have a structure composed of a capsid head,
which has the RNA genome in it, which is replicated after injection into
the cytoplasm. Phages are one of the most common entities found in
the biosphere and are therefore in huge abundance to a possible use in
the medical world.
Figure 1: The structure of bacteriophages
Antibiotic Resistance
Antibiotic resistance is a global rising problem, there are many pathogens that have developed resistance
to many antibiotics. The amount of super resistant bacteria is growing all over the world and the amount
of antibiotic treatments simultaneously are diminishing over time. The U.S. has officially called the rise of
drug-resistant germs an urgent threat to public health 1. These germs have built up resistance to the only
way to combat them, antibiotics. MRSA is one of those super resistant bacteria. It has built up a
resistance to a wide spectrum of antibiotics, one of the few antibiotic treatments left is Vancomycin 2.
MRSA has recently been found to have built of resistance towards Vancomycin as well, which is called
VRSA 3.
Figure 2: Visualization on how antibiotic resistance occurs
BACTERIOPHAG
THERAPY
E OF
MRSA
“Phage therapy will certainly
have
a significant role in the future”
M.D. Naomi Hoyle, Eliava Phage Therapy
Center
B08IDT
BTDPC-2021
15-06-2020
, Introduction bacteriophage
Bacteriophages are the natural predators to bacteria; they are viruses
that infect and replicate within bacteria, destroying the bacteria in the
process. The name phage has derived from the Greek “φαγεῖν”, which
means: to devour. They have a structure composed of a capsid head,
which has the RNA genome in it, which is replicated after injection into
the cytoplasm. Phages are one of the most common entities found in
the biosphere and are therefore in huge abundance to a possible use in
the medical world.
Figure 1: The structure of bacteriophages
Antibiotic Resistance
Antibiotic resistance is a global rising problem, there are many pathogens that have developed resistance
to many antibiotics. The amount of super resistant bacteria is growing all over the world and the amount
of antibiotic treatments simultaneously are diminishing over time. The U.S. has officially called the rise of
drug-resistant germs an urgent threat to public health 1. These germs have built up resistance to the only
way to combat them, antibiotics. MRSA is one of those super resistant bacteria. It has built up a
resistance to a wide spectrum of antibiotics, one of the few antibiotic treatments left is Vancomycin 2.
MRSA has recently been found to have built of resistance towards Vancomycin as well, which is called
VRSA 3.
Figure 2: Visualization on how antibiotic resistance occurs
