Phage That Can Kill Inactive Bacteria Discovered, Could Be Crucial Weapon to Fight Superbugs [Study]

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/CDC/Dr. Erskine Palmer)
Phage That Can Kill Inactive Bacteria Discovered Could Be Crucial Weapon To Fight Superbugs [Study]

Scientists have finally discovered a phage that could fight bacteria in a dormant state. The discovery could pave the way for a new solution to fight superbugs.

Phage That Could Kill Inactive Bacteria

When bacteria are under stress or have low nutrition levels, they enter this sleep phase. Because of this self-defense mechanism, the bacteria cannot proliferate or spread. However, being in a shut-down condition shields them from substances like viruses or medications that may take over their engines.

Bacteria remain in this dormant form for extended periods. Every attempt to find a virus that infects bacteria (also known as a bacteriophage) and can eradicate dormant bacteria has failed.

"In view of the huge number of bacteriophages, however, I was always convinced that evolution must have produced some that can crack into dormant bacteria," said microbiologist Alexander Harms from the University of Basel.

It appears that conviction has paid off. Found on decaying plant matter in a Swiss graveyard, Harms and colleagues discovered a phage that had not been detected before, which they named Paride.

The ubiquitous bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is present in many settings, including hospitals, can be eliminated by the phage. When it enters the human body, it can lead to severe respiratory conditions such as possibly lethal pneumonia.

Most importantly, Paride killed 99 percent of P. aeruginosa in laboratory testing when coupled with the antibiotic meropenem. The phage and antibiotic proved efficacious in eliminating bacteria in mouse trials, but only in combination.

"This shows that our discovery is not just a laboratory artifact but could also be clinically relevant," added microbiologist Enea Maffei from the University of Basel.

Using viruses to attack bugs even when they're in self-protective mode could be a big advance, as bacteria and the infections they cause are growing more and more resistant to the medications we've devised to combat them.

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Viruses That Can Kill Bacteria Within Diabetic Foot Ulcers Discovered

Researchers discovered beneficial viruses that may combat the germs causing diabetic foot ulcers in the excrement of binturongs, giraffes, lemurs, Guinea baboons, and Visayan pigs. The animals are among the 450 species of rare and endangered animals that Yorkshire Wildlife Park has in its collection.

Scientists believe they have made substantial progress despite not yet testing these viruses on diabetes patients' ulcers—viral organisms known as bacteriophages were found in the animal feces at Yorkshire Wildlife Park.

They were the first to seek such a virus in zoo waste, claims Professor Graham Stafford of the University of Sheffield, who oversees the institution's virus research. They have been searching for novel treatments for antibiotic resistance for some time now, and he thinks it's fantastic that animals in danger are contributing to such a noble cause.

Numerous strains of bacteriophages exist, and they are regarded as novel medical discoveries that could potentially be used to treat sepsis. Of the 4.5 million diabetics in the UK, about 450,000 may develop a foot ulcer at some point in their lives.

Dr. Dinesh Selvarajah, a consultant physician at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, stated that a substantial reduction in the risk of amputation is possible for her patients with diabetic foot ulcers when the illness is treated appropriately.