Shanghai has initially established a complete chain of coordinated advancement in research, clinical practice, formulation, and supervision.
What are bacteriophages? They are viruses that infect bacteria and serve as genetic material that influences the biological traits of host bacteria. Interestingly, the gut of animals harbors more bacteriophages than bacteria itself. Phage therapy works like peeling an onion—it gradually breaks down infectious foci within the patient’s body.
Antibiotic resistance has become a major challenge in global clinical medicine. According to statistics, drug-resistant infections contribute to 4 million deaths worldwide annually, with 1.3 million directly attributable to antibiotic resistance. How can we tackle this pressing issue? The ongoing Bacteriophage Conference of the Chinese Society of Biotechnology and the 8th China Bacteriophage Therapy Conference, which opened on the 19th at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, brings promising news: phage therapy may offer a groundbreaking solution to antibiotic resistance.
Professor Zhu Tongyu, Vice Dean of Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, shared a clinical case: a 56-year-old male, seven years post-kidney transplantation, had been repeatedly hospitalized over the past two years due to infections around the transplanted kidney and abdominal wall. Cultures from drainage of the perirenal area and abdominal wall abscess both revealed multidrug-resistant E. coli. Despite multiple rounds of antibiotic treatments, the bacteria persisted. The patient underwent three surgical excisions, yet the results were unsatisfactory.
In May of this year, the granuloma in the abdominal wall cavity had eroded through the skin, making surgical removal of the infection focus impossible. As hope seemed lost, Professor Zhu’s phage team identified a lytic phage through precise matching.
Phage therapy works like peeling an onion—gradually breaking down the infectious foci within the patient’s body. After several rounds of localized phage treatment, the patient’s wound healed, and the underlying infection focus significantly reduced. Currently, the patient is in stable condition, requiring no antibiotics, with normal body temperature and continuously improving infection markers.
What are bacteriophages? Professor Zhu explained: In the natural environment, “one thing subdues another.” Bacteriophages are viruses that invade bacteria and serve as genetic material that shapes the biological characteristics of host bacteria. They are among the most widespread and widely distributed viruses, found in sewage, soil, and even the gut of animals, where they outnumber bacteria. Although over 6,000 types of phages have been identified, their actual diversity far exceeds this number. Cases like the one mentioned above are not rare—over 300 patients have been successfully treated in Shanghai, with optimistic recovery outcomes.
It is worth noting that the European Union has approved phage therapy for clinical use. In China, basic research and clinical applications in this field are advancing simultaneously, with initial achievements in phage preparation development and personalized therapy. Shanghai, for example, has established an integrated chain coordinating research, clinical practice, preparation, and regulation.