The Appearance of Antiphage Antibodies in Sera of Patients Treated with Phages.

: Bacteriophages are neutralized by the sera of patients undergoing phage therapy (PT), particularly during local or concomitant local and oral phage administration in bone infections, soft tissue infections, or upper respiratory tract infections. The antiphage activity of the sera (AAS) level of 27 patients with bacterial infections such as bone infections, soft tissue infections, or upper respiratory tract infections undergoing PT was performed using the plate phage neutralization test. Our preliminary results suggest that high levels of antiphage antibodies appear late in the treatment period, at the earliest in the 3rd-8th week of PT.

Characterization and Comparative Genomic Analysis of Three Virulent Bacteriophages with the Potential to Reduce Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in the Environment.

The emerging global crisis of antibiotic resistance demands new alternative antibacterial solutions. Although bacteriophages have been used to combat bacterial infections for over a century, a dramatic boost in phage studies has recently been observed. In the development of modern phage applications, a scientific rationale is strongly required and newly isolated phages need to be examined in detail.

Characteristics of Environmental and Bacteriophages and Their Therapeutic Applications.

In recent years, multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains of have spread globally, being responsible for the occurrence and severity of nosocomial infections. The NDM-1-kp, VIM-1 carbapenemase-producing isolates as well as extended-spectrum beta lactamase-producing (ESBL) isolates along with strains have become emerging pathogens. Due to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance, bacteriophage therapy may be a potential alternative to combat such multidrug-resistant strains.

Biological Properties of 12 Newly Isolated -Specific Bacteriophages.

Infections with the opportunistic Gram-negative bacterium pose a serious threat today, which is aggravated by the growing problem of multi-drug resistance among bacteria, caused by the overuse of antibiotics. Treatment of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant strains with the use of phage therapy is not only a promising alternative, but sometimes the only option. Therefore, phages specific for clinical multi-drug resistant were searched for in environmental, municipal, and hospital wastewater samples collected from different locations in Poland.

How Interest in Phages Has Bloomed into a Leading Medical Research Activity in Poland.

Poland has a leading position in phage therapy, as reflected by the number of patients treated and relevant publications in quality journals. The Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy of the Polish Academy of Sciences was established by Ludwik Hirszfeld, a prominent microbiologist and serologist who also initiated studies on phages and pioneered the activities that set into motion phage therapy at the Institute. To achieve this goal, Hirszfeld had to overcome many difficulties in a post-war Poland.