Phage Therapy Treatment.

How does a phage therapy treatment proceed?

Phage therapy is a branch of medicine that requires medical, anatomical, infectious disease, and bacteriophage knowledge to ensure the effectiveness of the treatment. Furthermore, there are many possible methods of administration (see below). In some cases, it is necessary to apply complementary treatments such as tissue regeneration aids, bone curettage or grafting, acidity reduction, vitamins, etc.

Finally, it is important to monitor the quantities of bacteriophages taken. To prevent the bacteria from developing resistance to phages, a sufficient quantity of phages must be taken. It is also necessary to schedule breaks in the treatment at predetermined intervals. Phage therapy is quite different from antibiotic therapy. It is a highly personalized treatment, with each patient being unique, unlike antibiotics where everyone takes the same pill.

Therefore, for each type of pathology, the appropriate specialist doctor is required: pulmonologists for lung infections, urologists for urinary infections, surgeons for osteitis, dermatologists for folliculitis, dentists for gingivitis, etc. Only the doctor will be competent to apply the appropriate phage therapy treatment.

How to know if you can be treated with phage therapy?

Ask for the opinion of phage therapy doctors.

The first step is to contact us and send us your medical information. We will then submit your file to the doctors and we will respond, in principle, on the possibility of treatment by phagotherapy and the interest for you to travel.

To submit your medical information to us, all you need to do is fill out the following questionnaire, after a few days you will thus obtain the opinion of Georgian phagotherapist doctors on what can be done for you: : « Phage Therapy Medical Questionnaire»

First medical consultation with the phage therapists.

The patient participates in a first medical appointment. They will need to provide a summary of their medical history, preferably written by their doctor, as well as any other documents or information related to their infection. Depending on this, the Georgian doctors will prescribe the collection of a sample from the infected site. They may also prescribe any other necessary tests (x-rays, CT scans, etc.).

Bacteriological analysis and phage research.

-Georgian doctors will take a sample of the bacterium that will be sent to the laboratory for cultivation. It will be used to precisely determine/confirm the nature of the patient's bacterial infection, or even to detect other infections that need to be treated.

-Then, they will test the sensitivity of different phages on the bacteria found (phagogram). This will allow them to identify the most effective bacteriophage to destroy the patient's specific bacterial strain.

-In some cases, the virulence of standard phages is insufficient. It is then possible to improve their effectiveness against a bacterial strain by enhancing their virulence. This involves developing a new custom preparation of phages specific to the bacterial strain. This is for example systematically the case to treat Klebsiella.

-At the same time, the laboratory performs an analysis of the patient's blood pH to potentially decrease its acidity. Indeed, bacteriophages do not like acidity. It is then necessary to decrease it to ensure the best effectiveness of phagotherapy. If necessary, the doctors will prescribe additional treatment to achieve the desired result. The effectiveness of the immune defenses will also be studied, analyzed and reinforced if necessary (vitamins, autohemotherapy, etc.).

-At the end of this first step, a team of doctors and specialists will check the possibility of treating the patient. It is at this point that A PRECISE CARE PROTOCOL CAN BE PROPOSED, usually over 2 weeks.

-The doctors evaluate potential cases for surgery on a case-by-case basis. They discuss and comment on them in consultation with the patient, after reviewing medical records, bacteriological analysis, and phage sensitivity tests. Surgery may prove necessary primarily in cases of osteitis or osteoarticular infections. For example, to treat localized and invasive golden staphylococci, pseudomonas, etc.

Phages application.

The treatment will then begin: it may consist, depending on the cases and dosages determined by the doctors:

For cases of urinary infections : urethral instillation of phages
For cases of pulmonary infectionsinhalations of phages
For cases of folliculitis: application of phages by mesotherapy
For cases of Osteitis and osteoarticular infections: curettage is often necessary, and application of phages at the site of infection often associated with antibiotic treatment.
For infections on prostheses: prosthesis washing is often necessary with phages and antibiotics.
For intestinal problems: each case is different and personalized; phages + diet + probiotics
For sinusitis: sinus wash by an ENT
For infections on dental implants: removal of the implant, application of phages and repositioning of the implant, mouthwashes etc

In addition to the above-mentioned care, patients drink phages two to three times a day for quite long periods (1 to 2 months). Then, it is necessary to take breaks during treatment. Indeed, bacteria should not be given the time to develop resistance to bacteria. Doctors then determine breaks on a case-by-case basis depending on the pathologies. During treatment, doctors perform other analyses and/or exercise daily medical supervision. The aim is to ensure the effectiveness of the treatment and/or to adapt the dosages, change or not phages, etc. In some particular cases, it may be necessary to perform an operation to access the infected site.

DURATION OF A PHAGE THERAPY TREATMENT.

1st WEEK

The doctors perform analyses and samples of the bacteria. This will allow them to search for the most effective phages. Depending on the results of the analyses, they can then propose a duration and a treatment protocol.

2nd to 3rd WEEK

The patient will then need to accept the care protocol. The doctors will then treat them immediately for two weeks. If it is necessary to create a custom phage, the patient will then return as soon as it is ready.

4th to 8th WEEK

The patient then takes a stock of phages with them to complete their treatment at home by themselves for another one to two months (minimum).