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.

Do Anti-Phage Antibodies Persist after Phage Therapy? A Preliminary Report.

Phages are immunogenic and may evoke an immune response following their administration. Consequently, patients undergoing phage therapy (PT) produce phage-neutralizing serum antibodies. The clinical significance of this phenomenon for the success or failure of the therapy is currently unclear.

A Thorough Synthesis of Phage Therapy Unit Activity in Poland-Its History, Milestones and International Recognition.

The year 2020 marked 15 years of the Phage Therapy Unit in Poland, the inception of which took place just one year after Poland's accession to the European Union (2004). At first sight, it is hard to find any connection between these two events, but in fact joining the European Union entailed the need to adapt the regulatory provisions concerning experimental treatment in humans to those that were in force in the European Union. These changes were a solid foundation for the first phage therapy center in the European Union to start its activity.

Bacteriophages and antibiotic interactions in clinical practice: what we have learned so far.

Bacteriophages (phages) may be used as an alternative to antibiotic therapy for combating infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria. In the last decades, there have been studies concerning the use of phages and antibiotics separately or in combination both in animal models as well as in humans. The phenomenon of phage-antibiotic synergy, in which antibiotics may induce the production of phages by bacterial hosts has been observed.

Bronisława Fejgin (1883-1943): Forgotten Important Contributor to International Microbiology and Phage Therapy.

Bronisława Brandla Fejgin was a Polish-born Jewish female physician. Among Fejgin's numerous articles in the field of microbiology, her later work was almost entirely devoted to phage research. Although not equally famous as the phage pioneers from Western Europe, F.

Potential for Phages in the Treatment of Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Infections.

Bacterial sexually transmitted infections (BSTIs) are becoming increasingly significant with the approach of a post-antibiotic era. While treatment options dwindle, the transmission of many notable BSTIs, including , , and continues to increase. Bacteriophage therapy has been utilized in Poland, Russia and Georgia in the treatment of bacterial illnesses, but not in the treatment of bacterial sexually transmitted infections.

Isolation and Characterization of Phages Active against Causing American Foulbrood in Honeybees in Poland.

The aim of this study was the isolation and characterization, including the phage effect on honeybees in laboratory conditions, of phages active against , the causative agent of American Foulbrood-a highly infective and easily spreading disease occurring in honeybee larva, and subsequently the development of a preparation to prevent and treat this dangerous disease. From the tested material (over 2500 samples) 35 spp. strains were obtained and used to search for phages.

Anti-biofilm activity of bacteriophages and lysins in chronic rhinosinusitis.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is an otolaryngological disease with a recalcitrant nature, predominantly due to antibiotic resistant bacteria and the biofilm formation. The intracellular residency of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria was observed in CRS. The overall prevalence of CRS is estimated between 5-15% in the human population, and biofilms were formed in sinuses in 40-80% of cases.

Low Immunogenicity of Intravesical Phage Therapy for Urogenitary Tract Infections.

Patients with chronic urinary and urogenital multidrug resistant bacterial infections received phage therapy (PT) using intravesical or intravesical and intravaginal phage administration. A single course of PT did not induce significant serum antibody responses against administered phage. Whilst the second cycle of PT caused a significant increase in antibody levels, they nevertheless remained quite low.

The Presence of Bacteriophages in the Human Body: Good, Bad or Neutral?

The presence of bacteriophages (phages) in the human body may impact bacterial microbiota and modulate immunity. The role of phages in human microbiome studies and diseases is poorly understood. However, the correlation between a greater abundance of phages in the gut in ulcerative colitis and diabetes has been suggested.

Phage Prevalence in the Human Urinary Tract-Current Knowledge and Therapeutic Implications.

Recent metagenomic analyses imply an immense abundance of phages in the human body. Samples collected from different sites (lungs, skin, oral cavity, intestines, ascitic fluid, and urine) reveal a generally greater number of phage particles than that of eukaryotic viruses. The presence of phages in those tissues and fluids reflects the paths they must overcome in the human body, but may also relate to the health statuses of individuals.

Phages as a Cohesive Prophylactic and Therapeutic Approach in Aquaculture Systems.

Facing antibiotic resistance has provoked a continuously growing focus on phage therapy. Although the greatest emphasis has always been placed on phage treatment in humans, behind phage application lies a complex approach that can be usefully adopted by the food industry, from hatcheries and croplands to ready-to-eat products. Such diverse businesses require an efficient method for combating highly pathogenic bacteria since antibiotic resistance concerns every aspect of human life.

Phages in Therapy and Prophylaxis of American Foulbrood - Recent Implications From Practical Applications.

American foulbrood is one of the most serious and yet unsolved problems of beekeeping around the world, because it causes a disease leading to the weakening of the vitality of honey bee populations and huge economic losses both in agriculture and horticulture. The etiological agent of this dangerous disease is an extremely pathogenic spore-forming bacterium, , which makes treatment very difficult. What is more, the use of antibiotics in the European Union is forbidden due to restrictions related to the prevention of the presence of antibiotic residues in honey, as well as the global problem of spreading antibiotic resistance in case of bacterial strains.

Phage Therapy in Poland - a Centennial Journey to the First Ethically Approved Treatment Facility in Europe.

Although phage discovery is an unquestionable merit of the English bacteriologist Frederick W. Twort and the Canadian-French microbiologist Félix d'Hérelle, who both discovered phages over 100 years ago, the Polish history of phage studies also dates back to those years. In contrast to the Western world, developing phage treatment in Poland has never been abandoned despite the country's tense history marked by the Second World War (WWII) and the communism era.

Bacteriophages and Lysins in Biofilm Control.

To formulate the optimal strategy of combatting bacterial biofilms, in this review we update current knowledge on the growing problem of biofilm formation and its resistance to antibiotics which has spurred the search for new strategies to deal with this complication. Based on recent findings, the role of bacteriophages in the prevention and elimination of biofilm-related infections has been emphasized. In vitro, ex vivo and in vivo biofilm treatment models with single bacteriophages or phage cocktails have been compared.

Factors determining phage stability/activity: challenges in practical phage application.

: Phages consist of nucleic acids and proteins that may lose their activity under different physico-chemical conditions. The production process of phage formulations may decrease phage infectivity. Ingredients present in the preparation may influence phage particles, although preparation and storage conditions may also cause variations in phage titer.

Phage therapy: Current status and perspectives.

The spread of antimicrobial resistant bacterial pathogens combined with the lack of new drug classes in the antibiotic pipeline causes a resurgence of the use of bacterial viruses (phages) to treat bacterial infections (phage therapy [PT]). There has been a substantial increase in patients subjected to this experimental therapy and emergence of new PT centers in Europe and the United States paralleled by one clinical trial completed in accord with good medical practice (GMP) requirements and a few others underway. What is more, evidence has been accumulating to suggest that phages can also exert anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory action which opens new pathways for the development of novel targets for PT.

Perspectives of Phage Therapy in Non-bacterial Infections.

While the true value of phage therapy (PT) in human bacterial infections still awaits formal confirmation by clinical trials, new data have been accumulating indicating that in the future PT may be applied in the treatment of non-bacterial infections. Thus, "phage guests" may interact with eukaryotic cells and such interactions with cells of the immune system may protect human health (Guglielmi, 2017) and cause clinically useful immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects when administered for therapeutic purposes (Górski et al., 2017; Van Belleghem et al.

Phage Therapy in Prostatitis: Recent Prospects.

Prostatitis has various etiology including bacterial infection and dysregulated immunity; some of its forms remain a serious therapeutic challenge. Inflammation occurs in all forms of this disorder and is proposed to predispose to the development of prostate cancer (PC). There are reports that phage therapy is effective in chronic bacterial prostatitis.

Phage Therapy: Beyond Antibacterial Action.

Until recently, phages were considered as mere "bacteria eaters" with potential for use in combating antimicrobial resistance. The real value of phage therapy assessed according to the standards of evidence-based medicine awaits confirmation by clinical trials. However, the progress in research on phage biology has shed more light on the significance of phages.