Clostridium difficile cell with flagella – Inset shows virus infecting cell
Our researchers discover use for phages in fighting Clostridium difficile
A specialist team of scientists from our Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation has isolated viruses that eat bacteria – called phages – to specifically target the highly infectious hospital superbug Clostridium difficile (C. diff).
Since the discovery of the first antibiotic – penicillin – antibiotics have been heralded as the ‘silver bullets’ of medicine. They have saved countless lives and impacted on the well-being of humanity.
But less than a century following their discovery, the future impact of antibiotics is dwindling at a pace that no one anticipated, with more and more bacteria out-smarting and ‘out-evolving’ these miracle drugs. This has re-energised the search for new treatments, such as phages.
The key advantage of using phages over antibiotics lies in their specificity. A phage will infect and kill only a specific strain/species of bacteria. This is particularly important when treating conditions like C. diff infections.
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Superbugs
- HKU Scientists Pioneer Dual Trojan Horse Approach To Combat Superbugs
(MENAFN- Media OutReach Newswire) HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach - 22 September 2023 - In the relentless battle against antibiotic-resistant superbugs, science continues to unveil ingenious strategies to address their vulnerability. Like other bacteria ...
- Patients may have superbugs before they arrive in hospital
Research points to infections lying dormant in patients before being triggered in hospital, perhaps by drugs or illness
- Superbugs threaten to make infections in hospitals impossible to treat. Here's why
Considered a top global public health threat, superbugs increasingly threaten much of modern medicine because they're resistant to the antibiotics used during routine surgeries or treatments, like C-sections or cancer care.
- New Antibiotic Could Combat Multidrug-Resistant Superbugs
This drug, isolated from bacteria that haven't previously been studied, seems to be capable of combating multidrug-resistant "superbugs" thanks to unusual mechanisms of action. The drug was discovered and has been studied by scientists from Utrecht ...
- Superbugs Are ‘Dangerously High’ Threat in Greece, India, Turkey
They claim 79,000 lives a year across 34 OECD and EU/EEA countries and ratchet up annual medical costs by an average of about $28.9 billion, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said.
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Superbugs
[google_news title=”” keyword=”superbugs” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Phages
- Endangered species' feces could help fight against diabetic ulcers
Phages, formally known as bacteriophages, are viruses that solely kill and selectively target bacteria. They are the most common biological entities in nature, and have been shown to effectively fight ...
- 'Zoo poo' could help treat diabetic foot ulcers and save NHS £1bn a year
The research used faecal matter from various animals, including Guinea baboons, lemurs and Visayan pigs, which are housed at Yorkshire Wildlife Park.
- Key to prevent 7,000 amputations a year could be found in the zoo
Zoo animal faeces contain bacteria-fighting viruses that could stop infections and prevent 7,000 amputations in Britain each year, scientists believe. Experts from Sheffield University have been ...
- Zoo poo virus could save diabetes patients from limb amputations
V iruses found in the poo of endangered animals could be used to treat diabetic foot ulcers and save the NHS £1 billion a year, researchers have suggested.
- Zoo animal poo could help kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria, says researcher
Viruses found in the poo of endangered animals could be used to treat diabetic foot ulcers and save the NHS £1 billion a year, a research team led by Professor Graham Stafford has suggested. A team ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Phages
[google_news title=”” keyword=”phages ” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
