Bacteriophages with golden spears
Scientists have improved phage therapy to fight bacteria
Researchers from the University of California at Santa Barbara (USA) have improved the method of phage therapy, which helps fight bacteria resistant to antibiotics. By controlling bacteriophage viruses, unpredictable side effects of therapy can be avoided, the press service of the University (A New Old Therapy) reports. The scientists reported on their development in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Peng et al., Controlled phage therapy by photothermal ablation of specific bacterial species using gold nanorods targeted by chimeric phages).
Phage therapy suggests using bacteriophages – special viruses that infect bacterial cells. This therapy was developed at the beginning of the last century, but when the era of antibiotics came, more and more people began to turn to it. In addition, it caused a lot of controversy and it had its drawbacks. The nature of phages is not fully characterized, so phage therapy can lead to unforeseen consequences due to the rapid development and reproduction of phages themselves, as well as potential toxins that viruses can carry.
Nevertheless, antibiotics today can no longer cope with all pathogens. Due to factors such as horizontal gene transfer and rapid reproduction, organisms such as gram-negative bacteria evolve faster than we produce antibiotics to fight them.
As an alternative to antibiotics, a research group from the University of California at Santa Barbara suggests returning to the old method - phage therapy – but in a new, improved form. Turning to nanotechnology, scientists have combined bacteriophages with gold nanorods. When this "centaur" gets to the bacteria, infrared light is directed at it. Nanorods convert light energy into heat, which kills both bacteria and bacteriophages.
In in vitro experiments with mammalian cells, researchers managed to cope with E.coli (E. coli), P.aeruginosa and V.cholerae – human pathogens that cause acute symptoms if they are not controlled. Also, scientists have destroyed X.campestris – bacteria that cause rotting in plants. At the same time, although the high temperature successfully destroyed the bacteria and phages, more than 80% of the mammalian cell culture survived under the bacterial biofilm.
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