Pittsburgh Phage Progam (P3)

The mission of the Pittsburgh Phage Program (P3) is to form a multi-disciplinary team to conduct phage discovery, determine phage biology and immunogenicity, identify panels of phage specific multidrug resistant organisms (MDRO), establish ethical framework and conduct clinical trials. The long-term goal will be to develop phage therapy candidates for major MDRO. Hospitals affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh provide advanced tertiary care for high-risk patients with complex conditions; thus, the P3 program is highly relevant. The Pitt environment provides a unique opportunity to leverage our strengths to create a world-class program in phage therapy.

The Pittsburgh Phage Program was originally supported by i4Kids and the Pitt Momentum Funds through Pitt Research and the Office of the Provost.

The program is currently affiliated with the UPMC Infectious Diseases Expanded Access (IDEA) Center and the Division of Infectious Diseases. We are also supported by the University of Pittsburgh Department of Medicine, UPMC, and extramural grant funding.

Visit the new P3 webpage for the latest information

The 2022 Pittsburgh Phage Project Symposium was on Friday, June 3rd, 2022 at the University Club.

Watch the P3 Symposium Recording here

Meet the Working Groups

FAQ

What is phage?

Bacteriophages (‘phages’ for short) are viruses that infect bacteria. They are specific for particular bacteria and do not infect human cells.

How does phage therapy work?

Phages can infect particular bacteria, replicate in those bacteria, and kill them. This killing can be very efficient, and phages can thus greatly reduce the number of bacteria in an infection, just as antibiotics do. However, because of the specificity of the phage for a particular bacterium, different phages are needed for different types of infections.

Is phage therapy new?

The idea of using phages therapeutically has been around for about 100 years, but lost favor with the development of antibiotics. The therapeutic use of phages has received renewed interest in part because of the rise of antibiotic resistance and the emergence of bacterial strains that do not respond to antibiotic treatment.

Will more patients now have access to this phage therapy?

Phage therapy is not a universal solution to bacterial infections or a substitute for antibiotics. But as clinical evaluations progress, it is hoped that more patients with particularly difficult types of infections can be treated.

What are the benefits of phage therapy?

Bacteriophages are naturally occurring viruses, and are fundamentally biological rather than chemical. They therefore avoid the complications that can arise from administration of chemical agents that can have toxicities associated with them. Many antibiotics are not well-tolerated due to their toxicities – especially when taken over long time periods – and phages mostly avoid this.

What are the risks of phage therapy?

Because toxicity of the phages themselves is a lesser concern than for antibiotics, the risks are likely to be low overall, although clinical studies to test this are still in their infancy. It is important that the phage preparation used of therapy is suitably-prepared, and it is plausible that the infectious bacteria could because resistant to the phages, just as they do for antibiotics.

Will phage therapy replace antibiotics?

It is unlikely that phages will replace antibiotics. It is more likely that phages will be used in combinations with antibiotics, or to treat infections for which the bacterial pathogen is already resistant to all or most antibiotics available for treating it. However, the potential for phage therapy is being intensely investigated, and this is an active area of scientific exploration.

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Pittsburgh Phage Progam (P3)

Meet the Working Groups

Phage Biology & Discovery

Phage Induced Immunity

Clinical Isolates

Aerosol Phage Delivery

Clinical Phage Therapy Regulations & Ethics

Relevant Funding Opportunities

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