Munteanu, Daniela I. and Dunn, John and Apjok, Gábor and Kintses, Bálint and Griselain, Johann and Steurs, Griet and Cochez, Christel and Djebara, Sarah and Merabishvili, Maya and Pirnay, Jean-Paul and Štilec, Vida and Peterka, Matjaž and Simpson, Emily A. and Downie, Samantha and MacInnes, Alasdair and Nicol, Graeme and Clift, Benedict and Jones, Joshua D. (2025) Phage Therapy for Orthopaedic Infections: The First Three Cases from the United Kingdom. ANTIBIOTICS, 14 (2). No. 114. ISSN 2079-6382
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Abstract
Background: 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. Methods: Here, we present the results of the first three orthopaedic patients treated with phage therapy in the United Kingdom. Results: The first patient was treated in May 2023 and received phages active against Staphylococcus aureus. 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 Klebsiella pneumoniae and S. aureus; the infection remained unresolved. The third patient received phages active against Staphylococcus epidermidis; 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. Conclusions: These promising results hint at the potential for phage therapy to transform the care of chronic orthopaedic infections.
| Item Type: | Article |
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| Additional Information: | Funding Agency and Grant Number: Tayside Health Fund; National Laboratory of Biotechnology [2022-2.1.1-NL-2022-00008]; European Union [739593]; Slovenian Research Agency [L3-2620, P3-0387, HFM 24-17]; Royal Higher Institute of Defence, Belgium Funding text: J.D.J. received support from the Tayside Health Fund. The development of phage SCM in case two was supported by awards to B.K. from the National Laboratory of Biotechnology (grant 2022-2.1.1-NL-2022-00008) and the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (No. 739593). Phage manufacturing development for case three was co-financed by the Slovenian Research Agency with the grants No. L3-2620 and P3-0387. M.M., G.S. and C.C. were funded by grant HFM 24-17 of the Royal Higher Institute of Defence, Belgium. The funders had no role in the design of the study and collection, analysis, or interpretation of data or in writing the manuscript. |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | bacteriophage; bone infection; case series; joint infection; orthopaedic; phage therapy |
| Subjects: | R Medicine / orvostudomány > R1 Medicine (General) / orvostudomány általában |
| SWORD Depositor: | MTMT SWORD |
| Depositing User: | MTMT SWORD |
| Date Deposited: | 17 Mar 2026 11:42 |
| Last Modified: | 17 Mar 2026 11:42 |
| URI: | https://real.mtak.hu/id/eprint/235755 |
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