Phage therapy in the treatment of patients with respiratory pathology: history, modern aspects, prospects

Abstract

Bacteriophages - viruses infecting bacteria are the largest known group of viruses, which in their structure mainly have doublestranded genomic DNA, but among them there are also groups with double-stranded RNA and single-stranded DNA and RNA. The total population is about 1031–1032 phages, they play an essential role in the regulation of the world’s number of bacteria. The rather complex and diverse interaction of these representatives of the microcosm continues throughout the history of their existence on our planet. The question of the use of bacteriophages in the treatment of patients with various bacterial infections still remains completely unexplored. The very idea of using these microorganisms for therapeutic purposes dates back to the First World War, when the French biologist and researcher Felix d’Hérelle discovered a special type of «bacteria-eating» viruses, on the basis of which he created drugs for the treatment of patients with dysentery. To date, a fairly large clinical experience has been accumulated in the use of phage preparations in the treatment of infectious and inflammatory diseases of the respiratory, gastrointestinal, urogenital tract, as well as in the therapy and prevention of purulent-septic processes and nosocomial infections. The mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract is the first line of defense against various respiratory pathogens. The ability of bacteriophages to attach to the surface layer of mucus - mucin, forming an antibacterial protection of the mucous membrane and thus reducing the level of colonization of mucus by bacterial pathogens, determines their effective use in the treatment and prevention of inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract. Due to certain unique properties of bacteriophages, peculiarities of vital activity and interaction with a bacterial cell, their use seems to be promising for the treatment of patients with infectious diseases of the upper respiratory tract.