Experience of Eliava Phage Therapy Center in the treatment of respiratory infections

With increasing antibiotic resistance rates, phage therapy has become a viable alternative for antimicrobial therapy, both as a stand-alone treatment and in combination with antibiotics. The Eliava Phage Therapy Center (EPTC) is a specialized clinic in Tbilisi, Georgia, focusing on phage therapy for the treatment of chronic bacterial infections. EPTC works closely with scientists from the G. Eliava Institute of Bacteriophages, Microbiology, and Virology. Over the years, we have accumulated significant experience in treating patients with upper and lower respiratory tract infections. We aim to provide an overview of our treatment strategies and success statistics for the past 6 years for the management of lung infections. We would like to present a case of a bronchiectasis patient diagnosed in early childhood who has been under our care using phages as the primary antibacterial treatment since 2017. The disease-causing agent of the above-mentioned patient was identified as P. aeruginosa. Bronchiectasis develops due to persistent inflammation in the airways, causing abnormal widening and thickening of the airway walls. Such patients require frequent antibiotic therapy to manage bacterial exacerbations. The effectiveness of antibiotics is limited due to global resistance and difficulties in penetrating bacterial biofilms. Given these factors, phage therapy for bronchiectasis gains increasing importance. The treatment was based on the phage sensitivity of the sputum samples and comprised custom-made and commercially available phage cocktails. Treatment led to improved lung function, a lower titer of the pathogen, and decreased severity of the complaints; hence the patient's quality of life improved.