'This first study with bacteriophages involves a select group of patients,' says UMCG infectiologist Marjan Wouthuyzen-Bakker: 'patients who have been suffering from an infection of the joint prosthesis for a long time and who have no other option than to have the joint prosthesis removed. By administering bacteriophages to the site of infection, we hope to be able to control the infection for longer and preserve the joint prosthesis.'
The PhagoDAIR study was started in France, where the bacteriophages are cultured in a the laboratory. The study is being conducted in France, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, the UMCG is the only centre participating in the study. 'Besides patients treated in the UMCG, patients referred to the UMCG from other centres for this purpose can also participate,' says Wouthuyzen-Bakker.
Bacteriophages kill bacteria just like antibiotics. The difference is that antibiotics work against several bacterial species at once, while a phage works against one specific species. The advantage is that they leave good bacteria alone and you can use them in a very targeted way, but the disadvantage is that it takes time to find the right matching phage or phages for each bacterium. This can take a few days. This is partly why the use of phages has been pushed into the background in the West, RIVM writes.
An increasing interest in treatment with bacteriophages is emerging in the Netherlands and other Western countries in recent years. It may be a last resort for patients infected with bacteria that are insensitive to antibiotics or for infections that are difficult to treat, such as infections from artificial materials. In the latter case, bacteriophages enhance the effect of antibiotics.
Because too few scientific studies have been done, treatments are not yet allowed in most countries. 'But in Georgia, France and Belgium, for example, treatments with bacteriophages are already being done,' Wouthuyzen-Bakker knows. 'Many patients now go there on their own.' From experience from other countries, it is now clear that bacteriophages can be used safely and have few side effects.
Wouthuyzen-Bakker hopes to share the first results of the study in about a year's time. When more is clear about its effectiveness, she hopes to expand the patient group.
Do you have a chronic joint prosthesis infection caused by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and are interested in participating in the study? Then please email Marjan Wouthuyzen-Bakker at [email protected].
