Phage Therapy for Orthopaedic Infections: The First Three Cases from the United Kingdom
<b>Background</b>: Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that infect and kill bacteria. The antimicrobial resistance crisis has driven renewed interest in phage therapy, including the use of phages to treat chronic orthopaedic infections. <b>Methods</b>: Here, we present the results of the first three orthopaedic patients treated with phage therapy in the United Kingdom. <b>Results</b>: The first patient was treated in May 2023 and received phages active against <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>. At nine months follow-up, the patient's wound remained healed, the C-reactive protein normal and the patient was walking independently. The second patient received phages active against <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i> and <i>S. aureus</i>; the infection remained unresolved. The third patient received phages active against <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i>; at six months follow-up, the patient was free of infection. Endotoxin was considered at least partially responsible for mild self-limiting adverse effects in two cases. <b>Conclusions</b>: These promising results hint at the potential for phage therapy to transform the care of chronic orthopaedic infections.
Authors
- Joshua D. Jones (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0981-1913)
- Daniela Munteanu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3672-4433)
- John R. Dunn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7287-0916)
- Maia Merabishvili (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2566-0772)
- Gábor Apjok (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8627-2378)
- Bálint Kintses (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0844-0310)
- Griet Steurs
- Christel Cochez
- Emily A. Simpson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-4420-5952)
- Sarah Djebara
- Samantha Downie (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3269-337X)
- Jean‐Paul Pirnay (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6863-5219)
- Alasdair MacInnes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4960-1846)
- Johann Griselain
- Vida Štilec
- Matjaž Peterka (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2798-1772)
- Benedict A. Clift
- Graeme Nicol
Institutions
- HUN-REN Szegedi Biológiai Kutatóközpont (HU)
- Ninewells Hospital (GB)
- Centre of Excellence for Biosensors, Instrumentation and Process Control (SI)
- Institute of Biochemistry (HU)
- Queen Astrid Military Hospital (BE)
- University of Edinburgh (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Antibiotics
- Published
- 2025-01-22
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics14020114
- Citations
- 8
- Primary Topic
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 13.73
Funders
- European Commission
- Javna Agencija za Raziskovalno Dejavnost RS