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Arguments Against Phages

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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

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