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

Viral sRNA Unlocks Phage Therapy Potential Against Drug-Resistant Bacteria Plaques formed by phage lambda on an E. coli culture are being counted by Adi Levkowitz. [Yosef Adest] As the number of antibiotic-resistant infections continues to rise, scientists are looking to bacteriophages (“phages”), viruses that infect bacteria, as an approach to tackling antibiotic resistance. A new study by researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has revealed how bacteriophages use a tiny piece of genetic material to hijack bacterial cells and make more copies of themselves. Focusing on infection of  Escherichia coli  by phage lambda, a bacteriophage that scientists have been studying for decades, research lead Sahar Melamed, PhD, and colleagues identified a virus-encoded small RNA molecule (sRNA) called phage replication enhancer sRNA (PreS) that acts like a hidden genetic “switch.” The team’s research indicated that this switch rewires bacterial genes to help the virus copy its DNA...

4 million for study with personalized phage therapy UMC Utrecht has received a grant of 4 million euros for the first clinical study in the Netherlands involving a customized therapy with bacteriophages for patients with recurrent urinary tract infections. This represents a unique collaboration between the departments of microbiology, infectious diseases, pharmacy, and urology at UMC Utrecht. The grant has been awarded from the Promising Care subsidy scheme of the National Healthcare Institute and ZonMw. Patients with a recurrent  urinary tract infection  (RUTI) can participate in the study, although it will be at least a year before it is ready to include patients. The main cause of urinary tract infections (such as cystitis) is the intestinal bacterium  E. coli . Approximately one in five women suffers from such an infection at least once a year, causing many complaints and sick leave. Professor of Urology  Laetitia de Kort , MD PhD  explai...