A recent study published in mBio has generated some buzz surrounding the utility of bacteriophages in novel antimicrobial therapeutics. The study, lead by our own Madison Stellfox, MD, PhD, investigates the clinical improvement and reduced burden of VRE and E. faecium in one patient who received phage therapy in combination with antibiotics. But one challenge that researchers and clinicians face when administering phages is the development of antibodies to them. “From two to four weeks is probably where we’re getting the most bang for our buck with the phages before the body starts making antibodies against them,” says Stellfox.

The study was published last week and is available ahead of print. Follow the link below to read the full article, and be sure to check out the study’s findings as well as interviews with Daria Van Tyne, PhD in WIRED magazine, KDKA radio with Rick Dayton, and other news media sources!

mBio- “Bacteriophage and antibiotic combination therapy for recurrent Enterococcus faecium bacteremia”