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Showing posts from May 24, 2026

DepoCatalog Reveals the Structural Diversity of Klebsiella Phage Depolymerases and Their Expanding Role in Precision Phage Therapy

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For decades, bacteriophages have been studied primarily as bacterial predators, but a growing body of work now shows that some of their most sophisticated biological weapons are not the viral particles themselves, but the enzymatic systems they carry on their surface. Among these, phage depolymerases have emerged as one of the most promising tools in modern anti-infective research, especially against encapsulated multidrug-resistant pathogens such as Klebsiella pneumoniae. A new study published in Nature Communications introduces DepoCatalog, the largest experimentally validated collection of recombinant Klebsiella phage depolymerases assembled to date. The project brings together 129 distinct enzymes capable of degrading bacterial capsules across 75 Klebsiella capsule types, providing an unprecedented structural and functional overview of how bacteriophages adapt to the remarkable diversity of bacterial polysaccharides. The Phage Therapy (c) Klebsiella pneumoniae remains one of the m...
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Ancient Bacterial Wars Against Phages May Explain the Origins of Human Antiviral Immunity

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For decades, immunologists considered bacterial antiviral defenses and human immune systems to be largely unrelated biological inventions. Bacteria were thought to rely on relatively simple molecular mechanisms to defend themselves against bacteriophages, while complex antiviral immunity in humans and other eukaryotes was assumed to have emerged much later during evolution. A growing body of research is now profoundly reshaping that perspective. According to a major feature published in Science, some of the most important components of human innate immunity may ultimately trace their origins back billions of years to ancient molecular warfare between microbes and bacteriophages. Molecular components of human immunity depicted in this illustration can be traced to some of the antiviral arsenal wielded by bacteria.  RIOKA HAYAMA  ©   2026 American Association for the Advancement of Science. The discovery emerged gradually as researchers began uncovering an enormous diversit...
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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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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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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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