ipl-logo

Arguments Against Phages

737 Words3 Pages

Arguments against the use of Phages are numerous, but all of them are based around the beginning of phage use. At this time, solutions to these problems have already been found. Issue one is based on the host range of phages. A microbiologist named Michael Schmidt at Medical University of South Carolina described the range of antibiotics and phages as: “Antibiotics are a big hammer...You want a guided missile.” (qtd. in Reardon 15). The solution is to start by screening the infectious bacteria and ensuring that the chosen phage is capable of lysing it. If the patient 's condition is too critical for the matching process, then a phage cocktail, or mixture of phages with relatively broad ranges, can be administered. Second option is to develop …show more content…

If a form of resistance does appear, then there are a numerous amount of phages that would also be capable of eradicating the specific bacteria because many share similar ranges (Carlton …show more content…

4). Another possible approach is the development of a new phage that the bacteria would not be capable of developing a resistance to and this is much quicker to do than develop a new antibacterial. “Phages take a few years to develop for a resistant strain versus a few years with antibiotics” (What is…, par. 3). The last major issue is concern for immune response, but there are solutions for this without compromising the system. Phages can be developed with innate characteristics that are less likely to elicit a response from the immune system. Mutant phages that cannot be recognized by the immune system can also be used. A combination of the two methods could even be used without harm to the effectiveness of the system. In the case of a phage turning against the immune system, a polyethylene glycol can be administered that reduces the immune response (Matsuzaki, par. 8). Current issues with phages are mostly based on issues that occurred in the past when little was known about the origin or abilities of the new bacteria. With modern medicine, each of this issues are simple to

Show More
Related

  • Est1 Task 2

    839 Words  | 4 Pages

    TASK 2 Infectious diseases are the invasion of host organisms, (microbes) which can be invisible to the eyes. The microbes are also known as pathogens. A microbe infects an organism (which is known as the host of the microbe). In a human host, the microorganism causes a disease by either disrupting an important body process or by stimulating the immune system to mount a defensive reaction. The pathogen, interferes with the normal functioning of the host and can lead to chronic wounds, gangrene, loss of an infected limb, and even death.

    Read More

  • Summary Of The Ultimate Social Network By Jennifer Ackerman

    619 Words  | 3 Pages

    Researchers have also been trying to figure out how these microorganisms survive in the human body. To fight harmful bacteria, the immune system creates T cells. The body also creates regulatory T cells, which prevent the T cells from attack the body’s own cells. A bacteria called Bacteroides Fragilis helps to boost the production of regulatory T cells. In the 1990s, scientists found that one of the sugar molecules on the surface of B. Fragilis, called polysaccharide A, signals the immune system to create regulatory T cells.

    Read More

  • Clostridium Difficile In Hospitals

    1149 Words  | 5 Pages

    Running head: Kevin Holland Kevin Holland Clostridium difficile is becoming a major problem inside of hospitals. There are many reasons as to why the bacteria is becoming a top priority while treating patients mainly inside of the hospital setting. Hospital-induced infections, lack of a proper diet, and even when people do not perform proper hygiene is causing this bacteria that is considered normal biota, to flourish and cause gastrointestinal distress. Bacteria have spent millions of years growing and their whole goal is to keep doing that.

    Read More

  • Ashella Schmiddy Research Paper

    616 Words  | 3 Pages

    There has recently been an outbreak of a new disease in South America known as Ashella schmiddy. Recent studies that have been released have shown that A. schmiddy is a highly infectious flesh eating bacterium. A. schmiddy is a Gram Negative(-) bacillus, and it’s preferred portal of entry is the skin. It has been proven that once the bacteria is introduced to even the smallest cut or abrasion on the skin, infection quickly follows. One thing that makes this new disease so worry-some is the number of invading microbes that it takes to infect 50% of the population, which is only 15-45 cells, which is an extremely low dosage.

    Read More

  • Cja 100 Assignment 3.1

    641 Words  | 3 Pages

    PHAR 100 Assignment 3 1. Antibiotics are a form of medicine that seek out and destroy the bacteria that make us feel sick. Antibiotics work great against bacteria, however they don’t work against viruses. Penicillin was the first antibiotic to be discovered by Alexander Fleming, and it was first used to treat infections. Essentially, these powerful medicines fight bacterial infections, and have the potential to save lives.

    Read More

  • Deadly Companions: How Microbes Shaped Our History By Dorothy Crawford

    816 Words  | 4 Pages

    Readers not only learn why microbes emerge at these particular stages in human civilization and how they cause lethal infections, diseases, and pandemics, but also how microbes, with their dynamic interactions with humans, impact and shape human life. In addition, Crawford tracks human progress towards understanding the cause of communicable diseases and fighting against the disease-causing microbes with treatments and preventions, which includes antibiotics and vaccinations. In the final chapter of Deadly Companions, Crawford outlines our current situation with evolving pathogenic microbes despite the interference from modern advancement and knowledge. These killer microbes continue to exploit society; especially with poverty, travel, and drug behavior providing opportunities for our deadly companions to

    Read More

  • Colistin Case Study

    2242 Words  | 9 Pages

    Afterwards, with the use of Glimmer 3.02 and BLAST, gene prediction and annotation were completed with another plasmid, pHN122-1, as a reference. To confirm the role of the gene that caused polymyxin resistance and contained mcr-1, the gene and its sequence were place into a cloning vector pUC18 that yielded pUC18-mcr-1. With this yield and electroporation, it was used to transform an E.coli strain, revealing its ability to confer colistin resistance. Q3D:

    Read More

  • Microbe: Are We Ready For The Next Plague?

    684 Words  | 3 Pages

    Zelicoff, is a licensed physician who, at the time of Microbe’s publication, worked at the ARES Corporation, which is a risk management firm. He was personally involved in many of the stories throughout the book, including the SARS outbreak in China and the Smallpox outbreak of 1971. He is also credited with inventing the Rapid Syndrome Validation Program (RSVP). He has also written another book, More Harm Than Good: What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Common Treatments and Procedures. The second author, Michael Bellomo, holds an MBA and a Juris Doctor in Law.

    Read More

  • John Snow: Serial Killer

    512 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are many people in the world who claim that they have tried to take down the big evil people in the world. Whether it is the big company that uses questionable practices, big dictators with a terrible idealism, or just the towering bully down the street, people have been trying to defeat the huge people that make life worse for everyone. But, there are tinier things that have been a disability on the human race, that have killed many people throughout time and location; germs. Whether being a bacterium, virus, or protozoa, there have been fewer people that have volunteered to take down these microscopic warriors. This is because these diseases are scarier, not because of size, but of power, taking down people across race and socioeconomic

    Read More

  • Influenza Vaccination Paper

    498 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) recommend for vaccinations to all health care workers annually against influenza. In my Oncology unit, with immunocompromised patients’ nurses mostly 85% of us are vaccinated for flu, but remaining is supposed to use the mask and when get illness with cold not allowed to take care of such patients. The reasons for not getting the vaccine is the myth that it does not work for them or for some of them believe they do not need. In 2014 to 2015, healthcare workers of 64.3% were immunized where as only 62.9% in 2013-2014. Even among the patients and family the facts about flu vaccine to be explained the flu vaccine cannot cause the flu but it is safe and protects against seasonal influenza viruses, (www.cdc.gov/,2015).

    Read More

  • Overview Of National Patient Safety Goals

    442 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nurses’ primary goals are to promote patient safety and give the best quality of care to the patients. They also play a vital role in preventing and reducing medical errors in their work place. Nurses must be fully aware of the new recommendations and guidelines to follow in the healthcare setting. The Joint Commission established the National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) in 2002 (The Joint Commission, 2015). The goal of this program is to assist the health care providers with issues and concerns regarding patient safety and to help solve them.

    Read More

  • Unknown # 10 Essay

    650 Words  | 3 Pages

    Only a motile bacteria could travel that far from the center of inoculation. Furthermore, it confirmed that P. vulgaris is a facultative

    Read More

  • The Black Plague

    554 Words  | 3 Pages

    In special cases, Yersinia Pestis bacteria would get into the skin if a human had a

    Read More

  • Essay On Infection Prevention

    779 Words  | 4 Pages

    Employees working in pediatrics hospital are supposed to take precautions to protect their patients and staff from exposure to potentially infectious materials. A fundamental component of standard infection prevention measures are a system of barrier precautions to be used by all personnel

    Read More

  • Instructor Exercise 6.1

    1304 Words  | 6 Pages

    Instructor Exercise 6.1 - Developing a Structured Interview Guide INTERVIEW GUIDE The Interviewer should record responses to each question during the interview. Immediately after the interview, indicate your reaction to each answer beneath the response. Cover all competencies. Take notes.

    Read More

More about Arguments Against Phages

Open Document