Delivering Phage Products to Combat Antibiotic Resistance in Developing Countries: Lessons Learned from the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Africa. 2018

Tobi E Nagel
Phages for Global Health, 383 62nd Street, Oakland, CA 94618, USA. tobi@phagesforglobalhealth.org.

The antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis and HIV/AIDS epidemic exhibit many parallels. In both, infectious diseases have caused millions of deaths worldwide, with AMR expected to kill even more people each year than HIV/AIDS did at its peak. In addition, both have required or will require new classes of drugs for control. For HIV/AIDS, development of vital antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) was accomplished in several stages: expanding public awareness about the disease, gathering commitment from the international community to tackle the problem, and eventually establishing policies and global funds to deliver new therapeutics. For AMR, the pursuit of new antimicrobials appears to be following a similar trajectory. This paper examines how lessons and processes leading to ARVs might be applied to developing AMR drugs, in particular bacteriophages (phages). These possess many essential characteristics: inexpensive manufacture, rapid drug development, and a ready means to prevent phage-resistant microbes from emerging. However, the broad application of phage-based products has yet to be fully demonstrated, and will require both international coordination and modified regulatory policies.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D003906 Developing Countries Countries in the process of change with economic growth, that is, an increase in production, per capita consumption, and income. The process of economic growth involves better utilization of natural and human resources, which results in a change in the social, political, and economic structures. LMICs,Less-Developed Countries,Low Income Countries,Low and Middle Income Countries,Lower-Middle-Income Country,Middle Income Countries,Third-World Countries,Under-Developed Countries,Developing Nations,Least Developed Countries,Less-Developed Nations,Third-World Nations,Under-Developed Nations,Countries, Middle Income,Countries, Third-World,Country, Least Developed,Country, Less-Developed,Country, Low Income,Country, Lower-Middle-Income,Country, Middle Income,Country, Third-World,Country, Under-Developed,Developed Country, Least,Developing Country,Developing Nation,Least Developed Country,Less Developed Countries,Less Developed Nations,Less-Developed Country,Less-Developed Nation,Low Income Country,Lower Middle Income Country,Lower-Middle-Income Countries,Middle Income Country,Nation, Less-Developed,Nation, Third-World,Nation, Under-Developed,Third World Countries,Third World Nations,Third-World Country,Third-World Nation,Under Developed Countries,Under Developed Nations,Under-Developed Country,Under-Developed Nation
D004352 Drug Resistance, Microbial The ability of microorganisms, especially bacteria, to resist or to become tolerant to chemotherapeutic agents, antimicrobial agents, or antibiotics. This resistance may be acquired through gene mutation or foreign DNA in transmissible plasmids (R FACTORS). Antibiotic Resistance,Antibiotic Resistance, Microbial,Antimicrobial Resistance, Drug,Antimicrobial Drug Resistance,Antimicrobial Drug Resistances,Antimicrobial Resistances, Drug,Drug Antimicrobial Resistance,Drug Antimicrobial Resistances,Drug Resistances, Microbial,Resistance, Antibiotic,Resistance, Drug Antimicrobial,Resistances, Drug Antimicrobial
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000071059 Phage Therapy Therapeutic use of BACTERIOPHAGES to treat diseases. Bacteriophage Therapy,Bacteriophage Therapies,Phage Therapies
D000349 Africa The continent south of EUROPE, east of the ATLANTIC OCEAN and west of the INDIAN OCEAN.
D000890 Anti-Infective Agents Substances that prevent infectious agents or organisms from spreading or kill infectious agents in order to prevent the spread of infection. Anti-Infective Agent,Anti-Microbial Agent,Antimicrobial Agent,Microbicide,Microbicides,Anti-Microbial Agents,Antiinfective Agents,Antimicrobial Agents,Agent, Anti-Infective,Agent, Anti-Microbial,Agent, Antimicrobial,Agents, Anti-Infective,Agents, Anti-Microbial,Agents, Antiinfective,Agents, Antimicrobial,Anti Infective Agent,Anti Infective Agents,Anti Microbial Agent,Anti Microbial Agents
D001424 Bacterial Infections Infections by bacteria, general or unspecified. Bacterial Disease,Bacterial Infection,Infection, Bacterial,Infections, Bacterial,Bacterial Diseases
D014943 Global Health A multi- and interdisciplinary field concerned with improving health and achieving equity in health for all people. It transcends national boundaries, promotes cooperation and collaboration within and beyond health science fields, and combines population-based disease prevention with individually-based patient care. International Health Problems,World Health,International Health,Worldwide Health,Health Problem, International,Health Problems, International,Health, Global,Health, International,Health, World,Health, Worldwide,Healths, International,International Health Problem,International Healths,Problem, International Health,Problems, International Health
D015658 HIV Infections Includes the spectrum of human immunodeficiency virus infections that range from asymptomatic seropositivity, thru AIDS-related complex (ARC), to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). HTLV-III Infections,HTLV-III-LAV Infections,T-Lymphotropic Virus Type III Infections, Human,HIV Coinfection,Coinfection, HIV,Coinfections, HIV,HIV Coinfections,HIV Infection,HTLV III Infections,HTLV III LAV Infections,HTLV-III Infection,HTLV-III-LAV Infection,Infection, HIV,Infection, HTLV-III,Infection, HTLV-III-LAV,Infections, HIV,Infections, HTLV-III,Infections, HTLV-III-LAV,T Lymphotropic Virus Type III Infections, Human
D055808 Drug Discovery The process of finding chemicals for potential therapeutic use. Drug Prospecting,Discovery, Drug,Prospecting, Drug

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