To mark the 100th anniversary of theEliava Institute of Phagotherapy, we’re bringing you exclusive interviews with various members of the medical staff. Last week, we introduced you to Dea Nizharadze, the Center’s Chief Medical Officer. She told us about her early days at Eliava, the reputation the Institute has built up over the years thanks to the trust placed in it by numerous Georgian and international patients, the effectiveness of phages in treating infectious pathologies, and the international future of phage therapy. Today, she goes one step further, explaining which infectious diseases phages are effective against.

“In the beginning, of course, the number of our patients was smaller and the list of diagnoses we treated mainly concerned chronic respiratory system and gastrointestinal diseases, often associated mainly with dysbiosis.” Yet, as Doctor Dea Nizharadze explains, during this period the Institute quickly began to achieve very good results in the treatment of many new diseases.“Mainly skin diseases, infectious skin diseases. In these cases, we apply mesotherapy with great success and achieve quite exceptional results.” These are diseases that are notoriously complex to treat throughout the world. Phages are extremely effective in such cases, and the results are astonishing!

More than patients, friends!

“I’d also like to mention surgical wounds, post-operative aggravations, for which our patients are also achieving quite positive results. We have many examples that we present at the various international conferences we attend.” It’s less well known, but phage therapy is also effective against cystic fibrosis.“I would like to stress that our patients with such a diagnosis have been able to improve their lifestyle to such an extent that they have become our friends. They often come to us not as patients, but as friends. Of course, they’re very happy with their good results and that’s a great joy for all of us.“

Even more pathologies will be treatable with phages in the future

At present, the Eliava Institute treats multi-profile diseases of different orientations.“I’d like to point out that phage therapy is also achieving good results in the treatment of urogenital and urinary system diseases. And as I told you, we apply phages successfully for diseases of the respiratory system, as well as for pathologies of the gastrointestinal system.“

The Eliava Institute is therefore thinking of extending this list of diseases in the future…