Antibiotic alternative: high potential for bacteriophages to kill bacteria
Multi-resistant germs, food scandals, animal diseases: bacteriophages could provide a solution to these and other problems. These are viruses that implant themselves in bacteria and kill them. For cells of humans, animals or plants, however, they are completely harmless. In many Eastern European countries they have been in everyday use for decades, in Germany a lack of regulations make medical and hygienic applications more difficult. At the start of the 1st German Bacteriophage Symposium at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, scientists are calling for more research and fast and clear regulation in order to accelerate potential application. The symposium runs until October 11th, the venue is the Steinbeis House for Management and Technology (SHMT), Filderhauptstrasse 142 70599 Stuttgart. More information about the symposium at https://1st-german-phage-symposium.uni-hohenheim.de
"From colds to diarrhea to pneumonia: bacterial infections in humans and animals can already be combated with the help of tested bacteriophages," explains PD Dr. Wolfgang Beyer. PD Dr. Beyer, Scientific Director of the 1st German Bacteriophage Symposium.
More than 11 international representatives of bacteriophage researchers will meet with representatives from politics, business and regulatory authorities until October 2017, 150. The first German bacteriophage symposium at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart is intended to summarize the international state of research and shed light on future research and regulation needs. The symposium is organized by the Research Center for Health Sciences at the University of Hohenheim. One of the highlights of the symposium is the German-language final discussion "Quo vadis, German bacteriophage research?" on the 3rd day of the conference, October 11, 2017 from 10:30 a.m. The establishment of a national phage forum is also on the agenda. The general conference language, however, is English.
Special viruses as allies in the fight against disease
The principle of bacteriophages is simple, explains PD Dr. Beyer: The viruses penetrate the bacteria and kill them. “For every pathogenic bacterium there is a suitable phage that destroys it. You just have to find the right one. Then many infections can be fought - completely without or in combination with antibiotics. "
A standardized phage mix can help against many infections. In more difficult cases, a microbiologist can precisely determine the pathogen in the patient and then search for the appropriate phage - a treatment that is completely tailored to the individual patient. From trips to Eastern Europe, PD Dr. Beyer that phage mixtures can be bought there in pharmacies without a prescription. In Germany, however, not: “It is not forbidden to sell phages in Germany. In order to bring them to market as an approved drug, however, expensive and lengthy tests are necessary. This approval process needs to be accelerated because traditional antibiotics are increasingly failing in the fight against multi-resistant germs. We need bacteriophages as an alternative, and now. "
Forgotten in the Cold War, lost sight of by research
According to PD Dr. Beyer. They were discovered at the beginning of the 20th century; Research on this was carried out at the famous Pasteur Institute in Paris in the 1930s as well as in Tbilisi, Georgia.
But with the division of Europe into East and West and the triumphant advance of penicillin, bacteriophages were increasingly forgotten in western countries after 1945. "Thanks to the successful use of antibiotics, there was simply no need for bacteriophages in the West," said PD Dr. Beyer. "Today, in the fight against multi-resistant germs, it looks different."
In the Soviet states, however, the bacteriophages remained in use and are still in use today, certainly also because antibiotics were significantly more expensive in these countries or were not available at all. "However, bacteriophages fulfill the same function and are still used there today as an effective, but still insufficiently researched drug," explains PD Dr. Beyer. The fact that bacteriophages are not generally approved for medical treatment in the EU also complicates research: “Medical studies are difficult to carry out because doctors are only allowed to administer bacteriophages as an alternative method if all recognized therapies have demonstrably failed. But then it is often too late for the patient. "
Clear regulation would enable a wide range of uses
Phages could also be used in food hygiene, for example to prevent the transmission of Salmonella through poultry meat: “To protect against bacteria, food can be sprayed with a phage mixture or the chickens can be treated with phages shortly before slaughter. This has no effect on the product or the consumer. ”But here, too, there is a lack of relevant regulations, says PD Dr. Beyer.
Corresponding solutions are already in use in other countries: in the USA, meat and fish are treated with them. No such agent has yet been approved in Germany. That could change soon: B. a Dutch company is currently in contact with German authorities for the approval of a phage mixture for food treatment. Another area of application would be stable and environmental hygiene, for which PD Dr. Beyer researches: “If an animal disease has broken out on a farm, the stable and waste materials must be thoroughly disinfected. Here, too, phages could be used very effectively, ”says the scientist from the Department of Infection and Environmental Hygiene in Farm Animals.
Risks can already be avoided today
One argument that is often used against bacteriophages is the risk of undesired gene transfer: Certain phages can integrate into the DNA of bacteria. The fear: if they break away from it and continue to multiply, it can happen that they take a piece of the bacterium's DNA with them and spread it to other bacteria. Presumably this is how the intestinal bacterium EHEC developed.
PD Dr. However, Beyer warns against avoiding phages across the board: “The danger of gene transfer is a largely avoidable risk. An exchange of DNA between the bacterium and phages occurs primarily with so-called lysogenic phages, i.e. phage types that penetrate the DNA of their host. Such phages can be recognized today and excluded from use. "
Symposium aims to strengthen German bacteriophage research
Another fear is much more real, as PD Dr. Beyer believes that bacteriophage research in Germany is falling even further behind on this highly topical topic.
There are a large number of researchers who are now working on it. “We noticed that when we were preparing for the symposium: We were originally planning a one-day workshop. But the response was so great that we were able to welcome over 150 scientists to the opening of the symposium. "
The range of research approaches ranges from basic research to application - and researchers as well as representatives from federal institutions and companies are very interested in networking. In addition to well-known experts in the field such as bacteriophage expert Dr. Christine Rohde from the DSMZ will also be represented at the symposium by representatives from the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices, the Paul Ehrlich Institute, the Robert Koch Institute and the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment.
BACKGROUND: Phage Research & Health Sciences Research Center
The first German Phage Symposium is being organized by the Research Center for Health Sciences (FZG) at the University of Hohenheim. The FZG offers a dynamic platform for all actors who are interested in topics and joint projects in the field of life sciences and health research. It promotes interdisciplinary cutting-edge research and its application in the sense of the "One Health" concept, links cross-institute expertise in various subject areas, e. B. biology, immunology, health care, medicine, agriculture, nutritional, economic and social sciences and strengthens the bridges between research and application, e.g. B. between laboratory, clinic, economy and social actors. In the area of phage research, the FZG offers to act as the national contact point for phage research and its application. More information at https://health.uni-hohenheim.de/phagen
