2.1 Phage therapy
Activity 3 The advantages and disadvantages of phage therapy
Listen to the following interview with Martha Clokie, a phage researcher, who discusses the advantages and disadvantages of phage therapy. While you are listening, note down any advantages and disadvantages of phage therapy in Table 1 below. You may also like to think about any ways in which phage therapy is similar to and different from antibiotic treatment.
Transcript: Audio 1 Interview with Martha Clokie on phage therapy.
Advantages | Disadvantages |
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Similarities to antibiotic treatment | Differences from antibiotic treatment |
Discussion
Advantages | Disadvantages |
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Resistance is less likely to develop (bacteria that are resistant to phage therapy are also often less virulent). |
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Similarities to antibiotic treatment | Differences from antibiotic treatment |
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Historically, phage therapy has relied on identifying bacteriophages that target the infection-causing bacteria and then administering these bacteriophages to infect and lyse the bacterial cells. However, more recently, the isolation of phage-derived enzymes known as lysins has opened the possibility of developing new phage-based pharmaceuticals.