Bacteriophage Therapy; An Alternative To Antibiotics.
Phage Therapy (PT) is also called bacteriophage therapy.The word bacteriophage means “bacteria eater.” They’re found in soil, sewage, water, and other places bacteria live. These viruses help keep bacteria growth in check in nature.
Bacterial viruses are called phages or bacteriophages. Bacteriophages are viruses that destroys bacteria in the body.They only attack bacteria; phages are harmless to people, animals, and plants. Bacteriophages are the natural enemies of bacteria. Phage therapy is the use of bacteriophages to treat bacterial infections. This could be used as an alternative to antibiotics when bacteria develop resistance.
How Bacteriophage therapy works?
Bacteriophages destroy bacteria by making them burst or lyse. This occurs when the virus binds to the bacteria. The virus infects the bacteria by injecting its genes (DNA or RNA).
The phage virus replicate itself inside the bacteria. Consequentially, the virus breaks open the bacteria, releasing the new bacteriophages.
Bacteriophages can only reproduce and grow inside a bacterium. Once all the bacteria are lysed (dead), they’ll stop multiplying. Like other viruses, phages can lay dormant (in hibernation) until more bacteria show up.