Microbiology Why are bacteriophages not used instead of antibiotics?

Posted by: @ekaterina-gribacheva

Why are bacteriophages not used instead of antibiotics?

Bacteriophages are more strain-specific, for example, E. coli has both lambda and T-phages, and both are specific for different strains, while antibiotics are specific for childbirth, and humans affect different species gram-negative childbirth. for example Echerecia is a genus, E. Cold is a species and E. coli k12 is a specific strain.

@antony10 That is, if we know a real strain that causes a real disease, and we have a certain phage. Are phages neutralized by our body's immune system?

Yes, we load an additional problem with the body's immune system and thereby delay recovery. These proteins, which are proteins, will be broken down in the stomach

@antony10 Thank you)

@antony10 what if the proteins are not broken in stomach?

@morphism If proteins are not broken down in the stomach, then there will be no effect.

I wonder if any bacterium has its own bacteriophage?

@argentum It has. It is estimated there are more than 10³¹ bacteriophages on the planet, more than every other organism on Earth, including bacteria, combined. Every bacterium has its own bacteriophage.

@antony10 Oh, I see. Yep, it's kind of obvious 😀 

@morphism And most bacteria have multiple bacteriophages?

@argentum This book says "Yes": https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493185/  

@morphism thank you, its interesting!

@argentum you're welcome)