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Small study finds promise in phage therapy for cystic fibrosis patients

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Small study finds promise in phage therapy for cystic fibrosis patients iLexx / iStock Bacteriophage therapy for chronic bacterial respiratory infections appears to be safe and well-tolerated in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, according to a  study  published yesterday in the  International Journal of Infectious Diseases. Because of the thick, sticky mucus that builds up in their lungs, CF patients are predisposed to chronic respiratory infections and colonization by intrinsically multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens like  Pseudomonas aeruginosa.  This requires repeated exposure to antibiotics, which accelerates the emergence of MDR strains and further limits treatment options.  As a result, CF patients have become prime candidates for treatment with bacteriophages, which are live viruses that specifically target and kill bacteria. But because phage therapy to date has been used only in limited circumstances, evidence on safety and efficacy is scarce. “The he...
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Hiding in plain sight: McMaster study shows bacteria can activate ‘stealth mode’ to evade attacks from phages

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Hiding in plain sight: McMaster study shows bacteria can activate ‘stealth mode’ to evade attacks from phages Lori Burrows (front) with graduate student Veronica Tran in the Burrows Laboratory at McMaster. As antimicrobial resistance (AMR) erodes the effectiveness of antibiotics, viruses that prey exclusively on bacteria — called phages — are gaining traction as a potential therapeutic alternative. But phages are far from a perfect fail-safe, as bacteria can evolve resistance to them, too.   In a new study, published March 30, 2026 in the journal  mBio , researchers at McMaster University found that  Pseudomonas aeruginosa , a common drug-resistant bacterium that causes lung, skin, blood, and gastrointestinal infections, can evade attacks from phages by entering a temporary “stealth mode.”   These bacteria are...
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Turning the "phage" on drug resistance: Nature's bacterial predators offer a new way to fight infection

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Turning the "phage" on drug resistance: Nature's bacterial predators offer a new way to fight infection Danielle Peters working with phage samples in the lab. Often called the silent pandemic, antimicrobial resistance is a global threat that grows louder every day. When bacteria adapt to survive the antibiotics meant to destroy them, once‑treatable infections become life‑threatening conditions. For decades, this resistance has quietly weakened modern medicine, leaving doctors and patients with fewer treatment options. Now, science is striking back by breathing new life into an older idea. One of the most promising allies comes from an unexpected source—viruses known as bacteriophages, or simply "phages." These microscopic hunters are being rediscovered as potential lifesavers in the fight against drug‑resistant infections. What was once a forgotten chapter in medical history is re‑emerging as a story of hope, ingenuity and the remarkable resilience of life itsel...
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🌐 PhageAtLabs® — a global interactive mapping of academic laboratories in phage research.

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🌐 PhageAtLabs® — a global interactive mapping of academic laboratories in phage research. Take part in the project here: https://lnkd.in/e-csNChu   Support the project here: https://lnkd.in/eNtMaN5i PhageAtLabs® is currently under active development by The Phage Therapy team, with the aim of launching the platform this summer. At this stage, we are actively collecting information to ensure the platform is as complete and accurate as possible. For this reason, we kindly encourage you to share this form as widely as possible with laboratories, research groups, and colleagues working on bacteriophages that you know. This initiative is dedicated to building an interactive global map of academic laboratories and research groups working on bacteriophages. The goal is to create a structured and continuously updated database that brings together universities, institutes, and research teams involved in phage science worldwide. While similar initiatives exist in the broader ecosystem, Pha...
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Interview of Milena Milovanović, PhD student at the FIRE Doctoral School

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Interview of Milena Milovanović, PhD student at the FIRE Doctoral School  I’m a 2nd year PhD student with a background in Molecular Biology and Physiology and keen interest in understanding what life is. When not in the lab, I tend to my plants and walk around Paris. The title of my thesis is “Gaining insight to intrinsic phage genotype-phenotype coupling to drive disruptive novel protein selection system” co-supervised by Dr. Ariel Lindner (ELiS labs, Sorbonne Université) and Dr. Claude Loverdo (Laboratoire Jean Perrin, Sorbonne Université).   Milena Milovanović 2nd year PhD student FIRE Lab 1:  ELiS labs, Sorbonne Université Lab 2:  Laboratoire Jean Perrin, Sorbonne Université   Background :  MSc in Interdisciplinary Approaches in Life Sciences , Université Paris Cité;  BSc in Molecular Biology and Physiology , Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Serbia Can you explain your PhD thesis to a non-specialist audience?    The title of my...
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Most Consulted Articles

History Part 12 : Post-War Stagnation and Phage Therapy’s Marginalization in the West (1945–1980s)

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Post-War Stagnation and Phage Therapy’s Marginalization in the West (1945–1980s) The period following World War II marked a decisive turning point in the trajectory of phage therapy in Western medicine. Despite the promising results bacteriophages had demonstrated prior to the war as potential antibacterial agents, the decades after 1945 saw a dramatic decline in interest, funding, and scientific engagement with phage therapy in the United States and much of Western Europe. This marginalization can be attributed to a confluence of scientific, sociopolitical, and economic factors that reshaped the landscape of infectious disease treatment and research. Artistic View One of the key contributors to this decline was the overwhelming optimism surrounding the newly discovered class of antibiotics. The post-war pharmaceutical revolution brought forward a series of broad-spectrum antibiotics such as streptomycin, tetracycline, and chloramphenicol, which were viewed as miracle drugs capable o...
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The Phage Therapy in the spotlight !

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Bacteriophages: Ancient Predators and the Next Frontier in Medicine In the animated documentary The Deadliest Being on Planet Earth , the Kurzgesagt team delves into the world of bacteriophages—viruses that prey exclusively on bacteria. With vibrant visuals and precise narration, the video introduces viewers to an invisible ecosystem where microscopic hunters orchestrate life-and-death dramas that shape the biosphere. These entities, though virtually unknown to the general public, may soon become central to the future of medicine. At the heart of the video lies a paradox: bacteriophages (or "phages") are among the most abundant biological entities on Earth—outnumbering all other organisms combined—yet their therapeutic potential has been largely sidelined in the antibiotic era. The video outlines the historical trajectory of phage research, spotlighting Félix d’Hérelle’s early 20th-century work and the rise of phage therapy, only to show how it was later eclipsed by the dis...
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Groundbreaking achievement : Phagos raises €25m to end bacterial disease

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 Phagos raises €25m to end bacterial disease  The company holds the first authorization to market personalized veterinary phage-based treatments on EU soil  ● Founded in 2021, Phagos is ushering in a new era in the fight against bacterial disease with bacteriophages, a powerful alternative to antibiotics. Thanks to an unprecedented regulatory breakthrough and a discovery platform combining microbiology and AI, Phagos offers the first phage-based drugs for veterinary use, a market worth tens of billions of dollars. The company plans to expand further as phage therapy becomes accepted in human health.                              ● The funding round was co-led by CapAgro, Hoxton Ventures, CapHorn, and Demeter alongside Acurio Ventures, Citizen Capital, Entrepreneur First, Founders Capital, and Station F.  ● Objectives: deploy veterinary treatments in the field, develop the next generation of pat...
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EUCAST creates a Subcommittee on Phage susceptibility testing

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Subcommittee on Phage susceptibility testing Lytic bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect and kill bacteria. Phage therapy is emerging as a promising adjuvant to traditional antimicrobials for combatting difficult-to-treat bacterial infections. However, implementation of phage-based treatments requires standardized methods for testing their efficacy to select the optimal therapeutic phages. To address this, EUCAST has established the EUCAST Phage Susceptibility Testing (PST) Subcommittee Remit of the PST Subcommittee : - Developing  standardized reference methods  to ensure uniform and reproducible  in vitro  phage susceptibility testing across laboratories worldwide, - Establishing  criteria for interpretation of PST results , providing clinicians and researchers with evidence-based guidelines to assess phage efficacy and monitor phage activity. - Promoting  quality assurance  by implementing stringent  quality control  measures ...
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EMA : Guideline on quality aspects of phage therapy medicinal products

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The European Medicines Agency Publishes Draft Guideline on Quality Aspects of Phage Therapy Medicinal Products: A Landmark in the Regulation of Bacteriophage Therapeutics Introduction On 16 October 2025 , the European Medicines Agency (EMA) , through its Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) and the Biologics Working Party (BWP) , adopted for public consultation the draft Guideline on Quality Aspects of Phage Therapy Medicinal Products (EMA/CHMP/BWP/1/2024) . This 15-page document represents the first comprehensive regulatory framework in the European Union specifically addressing the quality, manufacturing, and control requirements for bacteriophage-based medicinal products intended for human use. The release of this draft guideline is a significant milestone in the development of phage therapy as a legitimate, standardised, and potentially widely accessible treatment modality for bacterial infections, particularly in the context of the global antimicrobial resi...
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