Reinventing the fight against bacteria, one phage at a time.

Promising new method could treat inherited diseases with phages Novel treatment uses bacterial virus already in the body to give new hope for combatting deadly genetic disorders     An innovative method that uses modified versions of a bacterial virus effective at delivering treatments to human cells shows promise as a more inexpensive and efficient way to treat some deadly genetic diseases. Researchers from the School of Pharmacy at the University of Waterloo use a modified version of a bacterial virus called M13 to target specific human cells while carrying only the genes they want delivered, with no unwanted virus or bacteria. Scientists can fine-tune the modified M13 to deliver different therapeutic genes for the treatment of many different diseases. About one person in 25 has an inherited disease. Despite the need, many conditions lack accessible treatments and do not have a cure. The Waterloo researchers expect the method can be used for many different types of genetic d...

ICPTB 2026: 20. International Conference on Phage Therapy and Bacteriophages February 16-17, 2026 in Manila, Philippines Conference Code: 26PHMA02ICPTB005    The International Research Conference Aims and Objectives The International Research Conference is a federated organization dedicated to bringing together a significant number of diverse scholarly events for presentation within the conference program. Events will run over a span of time during the conference depending on the number and length of the presentations. With its high quality, it provides an exceptional value for students, academics and industry researchers. International Conference on Phage Therapy and Bacteriophages aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers and research scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results on all aspects of Phage Therapy and Bacteriophages. It also provides a premier interdisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners and educators t...

Concerns with delivery device prompt FDA to pause BiomX's cystic fibrosis study Ref: GlobeNewswire The FDA has placed a clinical hold on a Phase IIb study of BiomX's experimental multi-phage cocktail in patients with cystic fibrosis.  The pause was triggered by concerns with a third-party nebuliser used to deliver BX004, BiomX said Tuesday. The regulator did not identify any issues with the phage therapy itself, which is designed to target chronic pulmonary infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.  Calling the hold "temporary," BiomX said it has submitted data regarding the nebuliser that is expected to provide the FDA with the information it's requested.   "We are actively engaged with the FDA to promptly address their queries regarding the third-party nebulizer," said CEO Jonathan Solomon. "We remain optimistic and confident that in response to the hold, we have provided the FDA with data that can satisfactorily support the use of the nebulize...

Bemidji State Football Player Discovers Virus With Potential to Fight Tuberculosis Viruses are everywhere.  But, according to Dr. Holly LaFerriere, professor of biology at Bemidji State University, many — perhaps even most — of them remain a mystery to science.   "Not a lot of them have actually been isolated or characterized," she said.   With antibiotic-resistant bacteria becoming an increasing global health concern, LaFerriere says scientists have refocused their research on bacteriophages — viruses that only infect and destroy bacteria — and phage therapy, which puts biophages to work in medical treatments.   Biophages were discovered early in the 20th century and used to great effect during World War I to thwart dysentery and cholera. Medical research eventually shifted in favor of antibiotics, which were easier to deliver and highly successful in combatting bacterial infections.   "It's important for us, for understanding viruses in gen...