Researchers from the Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, University of Valencia-CSIC in Spain are exploring the use of bacteriophages, viruses that specifically attack bacteria, as a therapeutic approach to combat infections caused by antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in cystic fibrosis patients.
“Phage hunters,” scientists who search for bacteriophage in diverse environments, like oceans, polar ice, and wastewater, can utilize InnovaPrep’s Concentrating Pipette to concentrate or isolate phages from environmental samples. The phages are then purified in growth media to produce sufficient quantities for therapeutic doses.
In this study, the scientists used an InnovaPrep Concentrating Pipette with an ultrafilter Tip to simultaneously isolate and concentrate their 900 mL phage stock solution.
The therapy involved nebulizing the phage into an aerosol, which was then inhaled by cystic fibrosis patients suffering from bacterial lung infections.
Conclusions
Nebulized phage therapy reduced bacterial load by 3-6 log in two treatments, significantly improving the patients’ quality of life.
“The main advantage of the Concentrating Pipette was that it allowed us to easily concentrate a large sample volume (900 mL), which can be difficult to manage with traditional methods such as ultracentrifugation”, noted Pilar Domingo Calap, an author on the study.
Reference
Neutralizing antibodies after nebulized phage therapy in cystic fibrosis patients Mireia Bernabéu-Gimeno, et al.
Med Journal June 2024
