Is There Anything Phages Cannot Do?
Beka Solomon of Tel Aviv University reported at the recent American Society of Microbiology meeting that bacteriophages can break up senile plaques in an animal model of Alzheimer's disease. The authors administered non-lytic filamentous phages intranasally to mice, and found that the phages dissolved beta-amyloid plaques. The mice showed, "improved cognitive and olfactory functions, protected neuronal degeneration, reduced brain inflammation and significantly decreased senile plaque load."
It is not clear the mechanism by which the phage engendered this result, nor is it clear whether it would be an effective therapy against human Alzheimer's disease. How will, for example, the human immune system react to the phage? Nonetheless, this is a fairly interesting result and I am amazed that it has not seen greater press coverage (or any at all for that matter).
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"filamentous phage interferes with the Aâ aggregation process and dissolves existing Aâ fibrils"
ReplyDeleteAre they implying that ANY filamentous phage would work?
Unfortunately all we have to go on is a press-release. There is nothing in press yet as far as I know.
ReplyDeleteThe press-release is really all there is to go on. There is not even an abstract for the presentation in any of the meeting material.
ReplyDeleteWhy is there so little news on Phages?
ReplyDeleteSir, I would like to signal you my site dedicated to the phage therapy :
ReplyDeletewww.geephage.org
and a book (unfortunately in French).
I am a doctor in France and I have treated several contaminated patients. I think that it is a treatment which can bring resolutions in modern epoch, not only in cases of bacterial resistance but also against sensible strains and as a prophylaxy method.
Sorry for my bad English!