Killer-viruses offer hope against superbugs

BACTERIA-KILLING viruses are emerging as a promising way of overcoming the global superbug crisis.

Monash University researchers are calling on the Australian medical community to fast-track research and access to phages, after finding that the virus therapy has been lifesaving overseas and it can even convert superbugs back into a form that is sensitive to antibiotics. Co-author Dr Fernando Gordillo Altamirano, said phage treatment was discovered 100 years ago, but dropped from favour when antibiotics came onto the scene.

The virus therapy continues to be widely used in eastern Europe and Russia as an overthe-counter medication.

But the rise in antibiotic resistance, with the World Health Organisation labelling it as one of the greatest current threats to human health, has seen the rival of phages.

Americans have recently been granted compassionate access to treat life-threatening infections such as in cystic fibrosis, or those stopping people receiving organ transplants.

Australians are also travelling overseas to access the experimental treatment, which can be administered orally, topically and intravenously.

“Bacteria are truly smart and will do anything they can to overcome the massive presence of antibiotics. But big pharmaceutical companies stopped investigating in the development of new antibiotics 10 years ago,” Dr Altamirano said.

“Phage therapy is an amazing option.”