Viruses to the Rescue: An Overview of Bacteriophage Therapy
“Virus”—the first thing that comes to mind upon hearing or reading this word is typically infection , disease , and pathogenic effects . But what if we told you that some viruses can actually be used to treat diseases? Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect and attack bacteria, destroying or killing them in the process. Surprisingly, these viruses can be harnessed to treat certain infections — this approach is called phage therapy . Phage therapy isn’t a new technology; it was first discovered by Frederick Twort (UK) and Félix d'Hérelle (France) in 1915–1917. After its discovery, phage therapy was implemented in Europe and the Soviet Union to treat bacterial infections. However, its use in the West declined after the mass production of antibiotics in the 1940s. Nevertheless, the Soviet Union continued to research and use phage therapy. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in phage therapy due to the rise of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, such as ...