The Latest MRSA Scare: is it Time to Implement Phage Therapy?

Question

Are Lytic Phages Readily Available for Staph. ssp. From Phage Typing?

Excuse me for Piling On:
From: http://columbia.thefreedictionary.com/Bacteriophage+typing


The bacteriophage was discovered independently by the microbiologists F. W. Twort (1915) and Félix d'Hérelle (1917). The phages have been much used in the study of bacterial genetics and cellular control mechanisms largely because the bacterial hosts are so easily grown and infected with phage in the laboratory. Phages were also used in an attempt to destroy bacteria that cause epidemic diseases, but this approach was largely abandoned in the 1940s when antibacterial drugs became available. The possibility of "phage therapy" has recently attracted new interest among medical researchers, however, owing to the increasing threat posed by drug-resistant bacteria. In 2006 the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of bacteriophages that attack strains of Listeria as a food additive on ready-to-eat meat products.

Thanks Old Scout and K, but this is Something About Which I Have a Little Knowledge, First of All, Complement and Antibodies Have Nothing to Do With it, About Research, See the Tablisi Inst. (Sp?), Georgia, Russia, Not Everything From Russia Can Be Easily Written Off.

About Antibiotic Resistance, I Still Think Primary Selection Occurs as the Result of Indiscriminate Use of Antibiotics In Food for Food Animals, Further Selection In a Hospital.

Fragrance-Free, VRSA, Do you Know if this was the Case for the 17 Yr. Old?, it Must Have Been.

Answer 1

Found a bunch of stuff...

Polish article from “Postegpy Hig Med Dows. (On-line) 2007; 61: 461-465. Title is, "Phage therapy of staphylococcal infections (including
MRSA) may be less expensive than antibiotic
treatment". I dislike on-line journals and question their authenticity and value. Tried to check the impact factor, but of course, since it’s Polish, not available in my Journal Citation Results. Medline also doesn’t discriminate between peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed (shame on them). So, iffy info, maybe.

Article mostly to do with cost effectiveness of Phage therapy. I saved this as a PDF, so if you are at all interested, I can email it to you. Anyhow, this journal is somehow associated with this Phage Therapy Center at some Institute (which opened in 2005). This “Center” apparently a money making business attracting patients who have bacterial infections that do not respond to conventional antibiotic therapies. They claim that the rate of successful typing of Staphylococcus in the “Bacteriophage Laboratory” is around 80%. So, we’re talking, Staph spp. including methicillin resistant, staph aureus, strep spp., enterococcus spp., E. Coli., proteus spp., Klebsiella pneumoniae, and pseudomona aeruginosa.

http://www.phagetherapycenter.com/pii/PatientServlet?command=static_about&language=0

I don’t know if this is a legit business or a bunch of bull. The world market for antibacterial products exceeds $25 billion. So, I don’t know.

There is also a researcher, by the name of Iannelli that has supposedly identified a phage that preys on Staphylococcus aureus. Controls both local and systemic human S. aureus infections. This reported and interpreted by a reported of LiveScience in July 2007. Iannelli and his colleagues found phage therapy could rescue 97 percent of mice given lethal doses from death. When given to mice with nonlethal doses, the virus fully eliminated the infections.

I am leery of second hand and third hand interpretations by unqualified people, so I found the journal:

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 2007 Aug.

http://www.asm.org/ASM/files/LeftMarginHeaderList/DOWNLOADFILENAME/000000002462/pdf-phage.pdf

Finally, according to: http://www.phage-biotech.com/links.html

Veterinary phage applications are already available in Western Europe, just within the last 10 years. A couple of American biotech start-ups are preparing to file for FDA approval for a “maiden staphylococci phage product” that will supposedly be introduced soon. Another group is attempting to develop a phage prep for vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Myriad phage technologies are apparently already employed in some unspecified diagnostic applications.

Answer 2

I am a healthcare professional.

Fact of the matter is that MRSA affects healthy people in their prime of life. You don't have to be old or sickly or have a run down immune system.

Do you remember when the news about AIDS in the 80's said that "Within 5 years everone will know someone who died of AIDS?"

Well, I believe that everyone will know someone within one year who died of MRSA.

To make matters worse, there is VRSA
which is uglier than MRSA because it is resistant to the Vancomycin that is used to treat MRSA.

After ALL was said and done, the ONLY thing that was able to knock the MRSA out of me was IV Ozone Therapy which was administered by a Qualified Medical Professional.

Food for thought:

Ozone Therapy:
http://www.healthsalon.org/268/known-cures-for-mrsa-with-alternative-therapy/

Phage Therapy: http://www.phageinternational.com/clinics.htm

Answer 3

Sorry, this is new to me. I know what phages do and was just wondering if any work has been done in the other areas of the immune responce such as a way of getting antibodies and compliment to be more effective with drug resistant staph? Sorry to ask a question with a question but I don't know the answer to your question. Damn you ask hard questions!

Answer 4

New phages are developed against resistant bacteria. The hide and seek of phages versus more resistant bacteria continue till a newer antibiotic is developed.
Lytic phages are not yet available for therapy of Sta. aureus.

Answer 5

a lot of cut back-n-paste suggestions which you will study from the different posters. the respond on your question is this: confident, it truly is a solid mix of antibiotics to apply. Rifampin is physically powerful, yet constantly ought to be excited approximately yet another antibiotic. Bactrim shows solid pastime against MRSA. while utilized on the side of Rifampin, it works properly. you is frequently on the Bactrim longer than the Rifampin (Rifampin is in many situations in basic terms prescribed for 5-7 days finished). I suffered an MRSA an infection in the Spring 2007. i grew to become into on an identical antibiotics your id record has prescribed......I recovered properly and have had no reinfections. i grew to become into on the Bactrim approximately 2 months finished and Rifampin in basic terms some million week. As I keep in mind, I had no area outcomes in any respect. solid success on your scientific care........take each and every of the medicine as directed for as long as directed.

Answer 6

In my younger days when trying for a Ph.D. one good friend of mine was scratching this area of research in Delhi (I am from India) at the Jawaharlal Nehru University. What came of it, I have lost track (nearly 25 years ago). Sorry, I too have not kept track of this area of research.