Eli5 what are phages (the medical alternative to antibiotics) and how do they work?

Question

Eli5 what are phages (the medical alternative to antibiotics) and how do they work?

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Answer 1

“phage” is short for “bacteriophage” – a virus that infects (and kills) bacteria. They work like other viruses: they float around until they stick to a bacterial cell and get their genetic material into the cell. The cell then makes lots of copies of the virus genetic material and proteins until it bursts and spills virus out.

It’s not a great alternative to antibiotics since phage cleaned up by our immune system it’s hard to get enough into an infection to be useful.