As antibiotic resistance grows, scientists are revisiting a century-old solution that sounds like something from a science fiction novel: phage therapy.
While most people have never heard of it, phage therapy could be one of the most important medical breakthroughs of the 21st century, and possibly our best hope against superbugs.
What is Phage Therapy?
Phages (short for bacteriophages) are viruses that infect and destroy bacteria. They are naturally occurring predators of bacteria and have existed for billions of years. In fact, they’re everywhere, on your skin, in the soil, and even in oceans.
In phage therapy, scientists select specific phages that are capable of targeting the bacteria causing an infection. Once injected or applied, the phages go to work: they infect the bacteria, multiply inside them, and then destroy them from within. It’s a highly targeted biological attack.
Why Is It Important Now?
Antibiotics were a miracle of the 20th century, saving millions of lives. But bacteria have adapted. Now, we’re seeing more cases of infections that no longer respond to any known antibiotic, what experts call “pan-resistant.”
That’s where phage therapy comes in.
Unlike antibiotics, which can kill both good and bad bacteria, phages are extremely specific. They target only certain bacteria, leaving the rest of your microbiome intact.
Phages can also evolve along with the bacteria they attack, potentially outpacing resistance.
Real-Life Use Cases
Phage therapy is no longer just a theory. In recent years, it has been used to save the lives of patients with drug-resistant infections where every antibiotic had failed.
For instance, a teenager in the UK with cystic fibrosis survived a fatal Mycobacterium infection after being treated with genetically modified phages in 2019. In the US, compassionate-use programs have helped treat hospital patients with persistent bloodstream infections using phages tailored to their specific bacteria.
While still considered experimental in many countries, clinical trials are growing, and researchers are working to make phage therapy part of mainstream care, especially in regions hardest hit by AMR.
Challenges Ahead
Despite its promise, phage therapy isn’t without challenges:
- It’s highly personalized, phages must be matched to each patient’s infection.
- It’s not yet mass-produced or regulated widely.
- It lacks big pharma backing because it doesn’t fit the conventional drug model.
But as AMR rises, the global health community is pushing harder to invest in alternatives like phage therapy and fast-track their development.
