Illustration by freshman Jemin Patel

The word bacteriophage literally means “bacteria-eater.” They have earned this name because of what they do, which is attack a bacterium, and make it explode by eating away from the inside. Phages are composed of a usually hollow head, where DNA and RNA are stored. Beneath that, they have a tunnel-like tail. Their feet have the ability to bind to certain molecules on the surface of the bacterium they are about to target.

 

What phages do is an amazing process: they bind to the surface of bacteria, inject their DNA, and give the bacteria a virus, which halts nearly all production in the cell. Instead of regular production, the bacteria begin producing baby bacteriophages, which fill up the bacterial cell until it bursts.

However, not all bacteriophages do this in a way that would be approved for treatment. There are two types of bacteriophages: lytic and lysogenic. Lytic bacteriophages fill the cell to the point of explosion, but lysogenic phages integrate their DNA with the host DNA, creating a prophage, which can escape and integrate with other bacterial cells. If bacteriophages were to be used to treat a bacterial infection, the smart choice would be the lytic phage, because lysogenic can spread infections to other cells if it creates a prophage.

So if lytic phages are so safe, why aren't we using them? Well, several studies have been conducted using phages to treat an illness. One study conducted at the Institute of Immunology and Experimental Medicine of the Polish Academy of Sciences tested phages on 550 patients at 10 clinical and hospital departments, at three different cities. Diseases such as Staphylococci, Pseudomonas, Escherichia, Klebsiella, and Salmonella were all treated with phages. Success rates varied from 75-100%, with an overall rate of 92%. Also, very few side effects have been reported.

As a matter of fact, 518 people who had diseases that have developed immunity to certain antibiotics have been tested with phage therapy, and found to have an overall success rate of 94%. Due to the success of phages on these diseases, it would make sense that we use them. Only one main disadvantage exists: because phages are very specific, the exact bacteria need to be identified before treatment, otherwise the phages won't work. Antibiotics, on the other hand, can be used to attack a plethora of infections, including viral, which phages have no effect against.

Bacteriophages are a very unexplored topic. Vanessa Myles, a scientist and doctor, claims that, “not enough research has been put into the topic of phages. However, someday, it is probable that we will be using phages to cure the diseases that antibiotics have no effect against.”