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RESEARCH PRODUCT
The forgotten tale of Brazilian phage therapy
Lotta-riina SundbergGabriel Magno De Freitas Almeidasubject
0301 basic medicinemedicine.medical_specialtybacteriophagesphage therapybakteeritauditHistoryPhage therapyvirusesmedicine.medical_treatment030106 microbiologyStaphylococcal infectionsbakteriofagit03 medical and health sciencesAntibiotic resistanceoppihistoriamedicineHumansBacteriophagesPhage TherapytutkimushistoriaBacillary dysenteryBacterial Infectionsmedicine.diseasefagiterapiaClinical Practice030104 developmental biologyInfectious Diseasesbacterial infectionsFamily medicineBrasiliaBrazildescription
The use of bacteriophages to treat bacterial infections (known as phage therapy) is considered a possible solution to the antimicrobial resistance crisis. However, phage therapy is not a new concept. The discovery of phages in the early 20th century was closely tied to clinical practice, and phage therapy quickly spread around the world. The use of phage therapy in South America in the previous century is still shrouded in mystery and has been mentioned only briefly in recent scientific literature. Research on Brazilian reference collections of medical texts showed that Brazil was an important, but so far little-known, player of phage therapy, uncovering interesting priority claims and missing pieces of phage therapy history. Of note, there is the widespread use of phages against bacillary dysentery and staphylococcal infections, with José da Costa Cruz from the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) as Brazil's leading expert and pioneer. This Historical Review about historical phage use in Brazil fills the gaps in our knowledge about the so-called golden years of phage therapy, providing information about successful experiences that can be useful against dangerous pathogens in our time. peerReviewed
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-05-01 | The Lancet Infectious Diseases |