Recent News 23 : Scientists want to tackle the coronavirus with…phages

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Scientists want to tackle the coronavirus with…phages


Phages could potentially be used to save seriously ill corona patients.

Phages – also known as bacteriophages in full – are viruses that target bacteria. Scientists discovered them at the end of the nineteenth century, after which they were briefly used to combat certain bacterial infections. With the rise of antibiotics, phages were somewhat forgotten. But in recent years, this has changed – partly because more and more bacteria appear to be resistant to antibiotics. And now there is cautious re-examination of whether phages – actually the natural enemies of bacteria – can be used to kill (pathogenic bacteria) . But bacteriophages can also play a significant role in the corona crisis, according to researcher Marcin Wojewozic – affiliated with the University of Birmingham – in the journal Phage: Therapy, Applications and Research .

Two approaches

Because phages target bacteria, they cannot directly attack the coronavirus. However, they can be used to combat serious bacterial infections that occur in some seriously ill COVID-19 patients. In addition, modified bacteriophages could potentially be used to produce antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 that could then be administered to patients.

“This pandemic has shown us the harmful power of viruses,” Wojewodzic said. “But by using ‘good’ viruses against SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens, we can turn the power of viruses into good and save lives. The beauty of it is that while nature can sometimes be deadly, it can also be our savior.”

Bacterial infections

Many seriously ill corona patients develop bacterial infections that are probably largely responsible for the high mortality rate, at least among older patients. The body is then no longer just fighting the virus, but must also combat these bacterial infections. Phages can be used to reduce the number of bacteria and limit their spread, Wojewodzic argues. This gives the immune system the opportunity to fully focus on fighting the coronavirus and producing antibodies. “Just as we are used to the concept of 'good bacteria', we can use 'good viruses' or phages to tackle the secondary bacterial infections that arise because the immune system has been weakened after an attack by viruses such as SARS-CoV-2,” says Professor Martha Clokie, microbiologist and editor-in-chief of the journal Phage: Therapy, Applications and Research .

Antibiotics and phages

Of course, antibiotics can also be used to combat bacterial infections at the moment. But according to Wojewodzic, other methods, such as the use of phages, could prove to be much more effective. “Or phages could be used together with antibiotics to slow down the growth rate of bacteria.” An additional advantage of phages is that they can eliminate bacteria very specifically, Clokie adds. “If we use them correctly, phages can very specifically attack the bacteria that cause secondary infections. They thus eliminate the pathogenic bacteria, but leave the otherwise fragile microbiome intact.”

Antibodies

But that’s not the only way phages can help us fight COVID-19. Wojewodzic also proposes using modified phages to produce antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. “Using a technique called ‘phage display’, bacteriophages could in principle generate antibodies very quickly,” he writes. “This technique was previously developed for MERS-CoV [ Middle East Respiratory Syndrome , a coronavirus that emerged in Asia in 2003, ed.] and successfully applied.” There is only one way to find out whether phages can also fight COVID-19 in this way. “I propose a series of clinical studies to test (…) the use of the phage display technique to generate synthetic antibodies that can tackle SARS-CoV-2 in the early stages of infection.” If the approach works, “it may give these patients some more time to produce their own specific antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and thus limit the damage caused by excessive immunological responses.”

Many advantages, but also questions

Wojewodzic further emphasizes that bacteriophages can be produced quickly and relatively cheaply. And the technique used to make bacteriophages produce antibodies can also be further developed relatively quickly – thanks to recent research into this. “Bacteriophages can also be easily stored and transported. I therefore believe that bacteriophages can be a practical tool in the fight against SARS-CoV-2.” At the same time, Wojewodzic acknowledges that there are still many questions. Both about phages and about the relatively new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. But according to the researcher, it is definitely worth delving into those questions and seeing what role phages can play in this pandemic.

Phages are certainly not the solution. But they could be one way to get this virus and the serious illness it can cause under control. “It’s clear that there is no single intervention that will eliminate COVID-19. To make progress, we need to approach the problem from as many angles and disciplines as possible.”

Source material :

" Bacterial predator could help reduce COVID-19 deaths " - University of Birmingham 

" COVID-19: Bacteriophage could decrease mortality " - Phage: Therapy, Applications and Research 

Source : Copyright, https://scientias.nl/wetenschapper-wil-het-coronavirus-te-lijf-gaan-met-fagen/

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