Imagine a treatment that can precisely target harmful bacteria without damaging the good ones your body needs. That’s exactly what bacteriophages – or simply “phages” – can do.
Phages are naturally occurring viruses that infect and destroy bacteria. They’re the most common organisms on Earth, found in soil, water, and even inside our bodies. Each type of phage is a specialist, evolved to attack only certain bacterial strains. This makes them remarkably precise compared to antibiotics, which often wipe out helpful bacteria along with harmful ones.
Phage therapy isn’t new. In fact, it’s been used for over a century in parts of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. However, it fell out of favour in the West after antibiotics became widely available. Today, with antibiotic resistance on the rise, scientists are rediscovering phages as a powerful ally in the fight against dangerous infections.
When bacteria evolve to resist antibiotics, they can cause infections that are difficult – or even impossible – to treat. The World Health Organization warns that antimicrobial resistance could become one of the biggest global health threats of our time. Phages offer a potential solution. They can be matched to the exact bacterial strain causing an infection and, if needed, adapted as the bacteria change.
Modern phage therapy is being explored for everything from wound care and lung infections to food safety and agriculture. With advances in genomics and biotechnology, it’s now possible to find, test, and prepare phages faster than ever before.
Phages aren’t here to replace antibiotics entirely, but to complement them – giving doctors a new tool in their arsenal. In a world running out of options, these microscopic bacterial hunters could help tip the balance back in our favour.