Inhalable viruses show promise as a better way to treat lung infections

[Judi Lynn]

Michael Irving
2 hours ago

Currently, the best options for treating pneumonia are taking antiobiotics either orally or intravenously – but as a lung infection, the most direct route would be inhalable drugs. Now researchers at Georgia Tech have made a step towards that goal, with breathable viruses that hunt down and kill disease-causing bacteria in the lungs.

Bacteriophages are viruses that target specific strains of bacteria. They were explored in the early 20th century as potential treatments for infection, but fell by the wayside once antibiotics were discovered. However, with superbugs increasingly developing antibiotic resistance, scientists have once again started investigating how they might be used in medical contexts.

The Georgia Tech team decided to try to put phages to work on lung infections like pneumonia, or those that recur in patients with cystic fibrosis. To do so, they grew the viruses on particles of a biocompatible polymer, then dried them out into a powder that could be inhaled.

"When we immobilized the phage on the particles, we could retain good activity for days – as long as two weeks at room temperature," says Andrés García, an author of the study. "We could store these particles, and when we delivered them to mice, get good distribution through the lungs. We believe the particles help stabilize the phage and improve the distribution in the lungs."

More:
https://newatlas.com/inhalable-viruses-phage-pneumonia/55526/