4 ms·

there are a number of startups that have formed in the last year or two genetically engineering phages to treat disease. resistant bacterial disease is a commo

there are a number of startups that have formed in the last year or two genetically engineering phages to treat disease. resistant bacterial disease is a common target, but given the growth in literature linking the microbiome to diseases from autoimmunity to cancer, there are companies trying to engineer phages to knockout bacteria implicated in non-infectious disease eligo, locus biosciences, biomx have received venture funding and there are many earlier stage companies as well. engineered phage therapy for cancer will be a field to watch this year

blacksmith_tb 8y ago
There are some phages being marketed as prebiotics, I have been taking PreforPro[1], which does seem to have generally positive effects on my guts. Of course, that would entirely depend on whether or not any of the bacterial strains it targets happen to be present. But they being actively researched[2] so we should know more eventually. 1: http://www.deerlandenzymes.com/preforpro/the-science/ http://www.deerlandenzymes.com/preforpro/the-science/ 2: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03269617 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03269617
- bhouston 8y ago
  Taking any anti bacteria medication on a regular basis will encourage resistance. I can not how that would be considered a good idea.
  - blacksmith_tb 8y ago
    I don't take it daily, but obviously there's been an ongoing battle between bacteria and phages for millions of years, it is unlikely they'd be selected for too strongly in my gut (assuming the targeted species are even present at any given time).
    - stevenwoo 8y ago
      In the article it is speculated the main patient didn't get better during the initial course of treatment because the bacteria infecting him resisted the multiple phages they used to treat him - they were all variants of the same vector of attack(that worked in the labs on the bacteria in question), and the researchers had to find different phages to continue treatment, so they came across resistant bacteria immediately.

blacksmith_tb 8y ago

There are some phages being marketed as prebiotics, I have been taking PreforPro[1], which does seem to have generally positive effects on my guts. Of course, that would entirely depend on whether or not any of the bacterial strains it targets happen to be present. But they being actively researched[2] so we should know more eventually. 1: http://www.deerlandenzymes.com/preforpro/the-science/ http://www.deerlandenzymes.com/preforpro/the-science/ 2: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03269617 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03269617

bhouston 8y ago
Taking any anti bacteria medication on a regular basis will encourage resistance. I can not how that would be considered a good idea.
- blacksmith_tb 8y ago
  I don't take it daily, but obviously there's been an ongoing battle between bacteria and phages for millions of years, it is unlikely they'd be selected for too strongly in my gut (assuming the targeted species are even present at any given time).
  - stevenwoo 8y ago
    In the article it is speculated the main patient didn't get better during the initial course of treatment because the bacteria infecting him resisted the multiple phages they used to treat him - they were all variants of the same vector of attack(that worked in the labs on the bacteria in question), and the researchers had to find different phages to continue treatment, so they came across resistant bacteria immediately.