New research has moved a step closer to harnessing viruses to fight bacterial infection, reducing the threat of antibiotic resistance.
A growing number of infections, including pneumonia, tuberculosis, gonorrhoea, and salmonellosis, are developing antibiotic resistance, which means they becoming harder to treat, resulting in higher death rates, longer hospital stays and higher costs.
Phage therapy is the concept of using viruses (known as phage) that are harmless to humans to kill bacteria. Phage therapy can be used in combination with antibiotics to cure infections more effectively, and reduce the opportunity for bacteria to develop antibiotic resistance. However, bacteria can also evolve resistance to phages.
