Download or read book Advances in Phage Therapy Present Challenges and Future Perspectives written by Andrzej Gorski and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2021-08-02 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Research Topic is dedicated to Prof. Elisabeth Kutter on the occasion of her 80th birthday. Dr. Kutter’s career as a phage scientist has extended nearly 60 years. She has been a pioneer as a woman in science. She started to work with phage at the University of Rochester, New York working with Dr. Wiberg on radioisotopes making excellent progress in the field – progress which was even cited in Luria’s 1969 Nobel Prize talk. Betty first encountered phage therapy during a visit to Georgia in 1990 which was part of a longer stay in the former Soviet Union under a US-USSR research exchange program. Dr. Kutter was one of the first Americans to advocate for phage therapy in the post antibiotic era. Betty started hosting the Evergreen International Phage meetings in Olympia, Washington, from 1975 onward, which helped to develop a strong phage community with participation increasing over the years to 350 at the 23 rd biannual last year. Betty continues to be an active member in the phage community, sharing her experience and working with all of us toward her ultimate goal of making phage therapy available worldwide thus reducing the burden caused by antibiotic resistant bacterial infections.
Download or read book Hurdles for Phage Therapy PT to Become a Reality written by Harald Brüssow and published by MDPI. This book was released on 2019-08-20 with total page 484 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Alternative treatment modes for antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens have become a public health priority. Bacteriophages are bacterial viruses that infect and lyse bacterial cells. Since bacteriophages are frequently bacterial host species-specific and can often also infect antibiotic-resistant bacterial cells, they could represent ideal antimicrobials for fighting the antibiotic resistance crisis. The medical use of bacteriophages has become known as phage therapy. It is widely used in Russia, where phage cocktails are sold in pharmacies as an over-the-counter drug. However, no phage product has been registered for medical purposes outside of the former Soviet Union. The current Special Issue of Viruses contains a collection of papers from opinion leaders in the field who explore hurdles to the introduction of phage therapy in western countries. The articles cover diverse topics ranging from patent to regulatory issues, the targeting of suitable bacterial infections, and the selection and characterization of safe and efficient phage cocktails. Phage resistance is discussed, and gaps in our knowledge of phage–bacterium interactions in the mammalian body are revealed, while other articles explore the use of phages in food production and processing.
Download or read book Phage Therapy Past Present and Future written by Stephen T. Abedon and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2017-09-05 with total page 394 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Historically, the first observation of a transmissible lytic agent that is specifically active against a bacterium (Bacillus anthracis) was by a Russian microbiologist Nikolay Gamaleya in 1898. At that time, however, it was too early to make a connection to another discovery made by Dmitri Ivanovsky in 1892 and Martinus Beijerinck in 1898 on a non-bacterial pathogen infecting tobacco plants. Thus the viral world was discovered in two of the three domains of life, and our current understanding is that viruses represent the most abundant biological entities on the planet. The potential of bacteriophages for infection treatment have been recognized after the discoveries by Frederick Twort and Felix d’Hérelle in 1915 and 1917. Subsequent phage therapy developments, however, have been overshadowed by the remarkable success of antibiotics in infection control and treatment, and phage therapy research and development persisted mostly in the former Soviet Union countries, Russia and Georgia, as well as in France and Poland. The dramatic rise of antibiotic resistance and especially of multi-drug resistance among human and animal bacterial pathogens, however, challenged the position of antibiotics as a single most important pillar for infection control and treatment. Thus there is a renewed interest in phage therapy as a possible additive/alternative therapy, especially for the infections that resist routine antibiotic treatment. The basis for the revival of phage therapy is affected by a number of issues that need to be resolved before it can enter the arena, which is traditionally reserved for antibiotics. Probably the most important is the regulatory issue: How should phage therapy be regulated? Similarly to drugs? Then the co-evolving nature of phage-bacterial host relationship will be a major hurdle for the production of consistent phage formulae. Or should we resort to the phage products such as lysins and the corresponding engineered versions in order to have accurate and consistent delivery doses? We still have very limited knowledge about the pharmacodynamics of phage therapy. More data, obtained in animal models, are necessary to evaluate the phage therapy efficiency compared, for example, to antibiotics. Another aspect is the safety of phage therapy. How do phages interact with the immune system and to what costs, or benefits? What are the risks, in the course of phage therapy, of transduction of undesirable properties such as virulence or antibiotic resistance genes? How frequent is the development of bacterial host resistance during phage therapy? Understanding these and many other aspects of phage therapy, basic and applied, is the main subject of this Topic.
Download or read book The Forgotten Cure written by Anna Kuchment and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-12-09 with total page 143 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book fills a void. Never before has a comprehensive history of phage therapy—a once-neglected, now resurgent field—been written. Kuchment writes from the perspective of the eager student of history for the common reader.
Download or read book Bacteriophages written by David R. Harper and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-01-30 with total page 1376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This first major reference work dedicated to the mannifold industrial and medical applications of bacteriophages provides both theoretical and practical insights into the emerging field of bacteriophage biotechnology. The book introduces to bacteriophage biology, ecology and history and reviews the latest technologies and tools in bacteriophage detection, strain optimization and nanotechnology. Usage of bacteriophages in food safety, agriculture, and different therapeutic areas is discussed in detail. This book serves as essential guide for researchers in applied microbiology, biotechnology and medicine coming from both academia and industry.
Download or read book Phage Therapy A Practical Approach written by Andrzej Górski and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2019-10-25 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book gives a detailed yet clear insight into the current state of the art of the therapeutic application of bacteriophages in different conditions. The authors bring in their practical expertise within their respective fields of expertise and provide an excellent overview of the potential and actual use of phage therapy. Topics like economic feasibility compared to traditional antibiotics and also regulatory issues are discussed in far detail. This new volume is therefore a valuable resource for individuals engaged in the medical application of novel phage therapies.
Download or read book Rising Plague written by Brad Spellberg, M.D. and published by Prometheus Books. This book was released on 2009-12-04 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Spellberg's book is a powerful and compelling journey into the antibiotic resistance problem . . . [written] in a personal, compelling, and easy-to-understand manner. It's a must read.--Michael Osterholm, M.D., author of "Living Terrors."
Download or read book Fighting Multidrug Resistance with Herbal Extracts Essential Oils and Their Components written by Mahendra Rai and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2013-05-24 with total page 291 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fighting Multidrug Resistance with Herbal Extracts, Essential Oils and their Components offers scientists a single source aimed at fighting specific multidrug-resistant (MDR) microorganisms such as bacteria, protozoans, viruses and fungi using natural products. This essential reference discusses herbal extracts and essential oils used or under investigation to treat MDR infections, as well as those containing antimicrobial activity that could be of potential interest in future studies against MDR microorganisms. The need to combat multidrug-resistant microorganisms is an urgent one and this book provides important coverage of mechanism of action, the advantages and disadvantages of using herbal extracts, essential oils and their components and more to aid researchers in effective antimicrobial drug discovery Addresses the need to develop safe and effective approaches to coping with resistance to all classes of antimicrobial drugs Provides readers with current evidence-based content aimed at using herbal extracts and essential oils in antimicrobial drug development Includes chapters devoted to the activity of herbal products against herpes, AIDS, tuberculosis, drug-resistant cancer cells and more
Download or read book Bacteriophages and Biofilms written by Stephen T. Abedon and published by Nova Biomedical Books. This book was released on 2011 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bacteriophages (phages) are the viruses of bacteria and biofilms that represent a frequent niche for bacteria, where they are embedded in extensive extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and can be structured into complex microcolonies. As a consequence of the resulting spatial structure and heterogeneity, phage-bacterial interactions within biofilms can be more complicated than those between phages and planktonic bacteria. This book presents and discusses research which provides a better understanding of the biology of phages interacting with biofilms.
Download or read book Viruses Vs Superbugs written by T. Häusler and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-05-24 with total page 307 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Each year thousands of people die from bacteria resistant to antibiotics. Alternative drugs are urgently needed. A surprising ray of hope from the past are viruses that kill bacteria, but not us. Award-winning science journalist Thomas Häusler investigates how these long-forgotten cures may help sick people today.
Download or read book The Perfect Predator written by Steffanie Strathdee and published by Hachette Books. This book was released on 2019-02-26 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An electrifying memoir of one woman's extraordinary effort to save her husband's life-and the discovery of a forgotten cure that has the potential to save millions more. "A memoir that reads like a thriller." -New York Times Book Review "A fascinating and terrifying peek into the devastating outcomes of antibiotic misuse-and what happens when standard health care falls short." -Scientific American Epidemiologist Steffanie Strathdee and her husband, psychologist Tom Patterson, were vacationing in Egypt when Tom came down with a stomach bug. What at first seemed like a case of food poisoning quickly turned critical, and by the time Tom had been transferred via emergency medevac to the world-class medical center at UC San Diego, where both he and Steffanie worked, blood work revealed why modern medicine was failing: Tom was fighting one of the most dangerous, antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the world. Frantic, Steffanie combed through research old and new and came across phage therapy: the idea that the right virus, aka "the perfect predator," can kill even the most lethal bacteria. Phage treatment had fallen out of favor almost 100 years ago, after antibiotic use went mainstream. Now, with time running out, Steffanie appealed to phage researchers all over the world for help. She found allies at the FDA, researchers from Texas A&M, and a clandestine Navy biomedical center -- and together they resurrected a forgotten cure. A nail-biting medical mystery, The Perfect Predator is a story of love and survival against all odds, and the (re)discovery of a powerful new weapon in the global superbug crisis.
Download or read book Bacteriophages written by Renos Savva and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2020-02-19 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bacteriophages are viruses that utilise bacterial cells as factories for their own propagation and as safe havens for their genomic material. They are capable of equipping bacteria with properties that bestow environmental advantages. They are also capable of specifically and efficiently killing bacteria.Bacteriophages are resilient in a wide diversity of environments, presumed to be as ancient as life itself, and are estimated to be the most numerous biological entities on the planet. Their overarching capacity to survive via molecular adaptation is supported by an arsenal of encoded enzymatic tools, which also enabled biotechnology. This volume includes contributions that describe bacteriophages as nanomachines, genetic engineers, and also as medicines and technologies of the future, including relevant production and process issues.
Download or read book Treating Infectious Diseases in a Microbial World written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2006-01-03 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Humans coexist with millions of harmless microorganisms, but emerging diseases, resistance to antibiotics, and the threat of bioterrorism are forcing scientists to look for new ways to confront the microbes that do pose a danger. This report identifies innovative approaches to the development of antimicrobial drugs and vaccines based on a greater understanding of how the human immune system interacts with both good and bad microbes. The report concludes that the development of a single superdrug to fight all infectious agents is unrealistic.
Download or read book Bacteriophages in Health and Disease written by Paul Hyman and published by CABI. This book was released on 2012 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria; as such, they have many potential uses for promoting health and combating disease. This book covers the many facets of phage-bacterial-human interaction in three sections: the role and impact of phages on natural bacterial communities, the potential to develop phage-based therapeutics and other aspects in which phages can be used to combat disease, including bacterial detection, bacterial epidemiology, the tracing of fecal contamination of water and decontamination of foods.
Download or read book Biocommunication of Phages written by Guenther Witzany and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-06-29 with total page 499 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first book to systemize all levels of communicative behavior of phages. Phages represent the most diverse inhabitants on this planet. Until today they are completely underestimated in their number, skills and competences and still remain the dark matter of biology. Phages have serious effects on global energy and nutrient cycles. Phages actively compete for host. They can distinguish between ‘self’ and ‘non-self’ (complement same, preclude others). They process and evaluate available information and then modify their behaviour accordingly. These diverse competences show us that this capacity to evaluate information is possible owing to communication processes within phages (intra-organismic), between the same, related and different phage species (interorganismic), and between phages and non-phage organisms (transorganismic). This is crucial in coordinating infection strategies (lytic vs. lysogenic) and recombination in phage genomes. In 22 chapters, expert contributors review current research into the varying forms of phage biocommunication and Phagetherapy. Biocommunication of Phages aims to assess the current state of research, to orient further investigations on how phages communicate with each other to coordinate their behavioral patterns, and to inspire further investigation of the role of non-phage viruses (non-lytic, non-prokaryotic) in these highly dynamic interactional networks.
Download or read book Antibacterial Drug Discovery to Combat MDR written by Iqbal Ahmad and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2019-11-09 with total page 680 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book compiles the latest information in the field of antibacterial discovery, especially with regard to the looming threat of multi-drug resistance. The respective chapters highlight the discovery of new antibacterial and anti-infective compounds derived from microbes, plants, and other natural sources. The potential applications of nanotechnology to the fields of antibacterial discovery and drug delivery are also discussed, and one section of the book is dedicated to the use of computational tools and metagenomics in antibiotic drug discovery. Techniques for efficient drug delivery are also covered. The book provides a comprehensive overview of the progress made in both antibacterial discovery and delivery, making it a valuable resource for academic researchers, as well as those working in the pharmaceutical industry.
Download or read book Penicillin written by Robert Bud and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2007 with total page 342 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author sets the discovery and use of penicillin in the broader context of social and cultural changes across the world. He examines the drug's contributions to medicine and agriculture, and investigates the global spread of resistant bacteria as antibiotic use continues to rise.
