Bakteriofagterapi : Livets minste medlemmer til krig mot de farligste

Abstract

Bacteriophage (phage) therapy is the therapeutic use of phages and their products as medical aids in the treatment of bacterial infections, prophylaxis, disinfection and other areas. Phage therapy represent as paradigm shift in relation to the classical usage of chemotherapeutical antibiotics against bacterial pathology. Evidence for efficacy and safety of phage therapy for a multitude of pathogenic bacteria, has accumulated in Western research communities for the last three decades, and recently well-controlled human trials have been attempted. Phage therapy has the potential to overcome the recent increasing problem of bacterial multi-drug resistance to common antibiotics, while at the same time being relatively cheap, easy to handle and treatment modifiable. Furthermore, phage products with the ability to induce lysation or inhbit cell wall synthesis represents added potential for medical appropriation. This review summarizes and discusses current knowledge of phages and phage therapy, and discusses its possible future applications in the field of infectious medicine