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Join the European Phage Therapy Consortium

In the context of the Horizon Europe 2025 Health Work Programme, a major opportunity is open under the call HORIZON-HLTH-2025-01-DISEASE-01:

“Testing safety and efficacy of phage therapy for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.”

We are launching the Phage Therapy Task Force to build a credible, multidisciplinary consortium able to address this challenge and submit a competitive proposal.

🔗 Official EU Call – Page 42: Download PDF Here

Objective

Our goal is to:
• Identify and connect leading academic, clinical, industrial, and regulatory actors
• Facilitate the development of translational, GMP-compliant, and clinically validated phage therapies
• Prepare a strong, high-impact submission under Horizon Europe 2025

🗓 Deadline: 15 August 2025 – Application Closed

Additional Opportunity: A Coordinating Team is needed

We are actively seeking a team or company capable of coordinating and managing the Horizon Europe submission. If you are ready to take on this challenge, please contact us with details of your background, experience, honorarium, and availability.

Let’s advance the future of phage therapy together.

 Bacteria acquire phage resistance.

The increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria presents a critical global health challenge. According to the WHO, 1.27 million deaths in 2019 were linked to resistant infections, and by 2050, fatalities from these infections are projected to exceed those caused by cancer.

The Role of Phage Therapy

As an alternative to antibiotics, bacteriophage (phage) therapy utilizes viruses that specifically target and eliminate bacteria. This approach has shown promise in treating severe infections, particularly those caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria:

• Successful treatment of patients with panresistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa
• Recovery from systemic Acinetobacter infections following phage administration

Advantages and Challenges

Key benefits of phage therapy include:

• High specificity – Targets only the harmful bacteria, preserving the microbiome
• Potential synergy with antibiotics – May enhance treatment effectiveness

Challenges and ongoing research efforts:

• Bacterial resistance to phages – Addressed through phage selection and combination strategies
• Phage specificity – Requires precise matching of phage to bacterial strain

Global Developments in Phage Therapy

• Belgium has established a national phage bank to facilitate clinical applications.
• The United States is advancing research through Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics (IPATH) at UC San Diego.

Phage therapy is emerging as a key component of personalized medicine, offering a promising treatment option for patients with life-threatening bacterial infections. Continued research and clinical trials are essential to further establish its role in combating antibiotic resistance.

Figure Description: There are several mechanisms through which bacteria can gain resistance to phages, as follows: ① mutation or modification of surface receptors, ② the CRISPR‒Cas system, ③ restriction-modification system, and ④ abortive infection

Article DOI.

Image Credit: Sawa, T., Moriyama, K. & Kinoshita, M. j intensive care 12, 44 (2024). 

A schematic of factors potentially accounting for high virus (phage) turnover in human guts.

This study explores the dynamic relationship between bacteriophages (phages) and bacteria in the gut microbiome of infants and young children during their early years. Using metagenomic sequencing data from over 12,000 stool samples collected as part of the Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) project, the researchers uncovered how phages and bacteria interact and evolve. Phages, described as the “hidden architects” of the gut ecosystem, exhibit faster turnover and greater transience than bacteria while accumulating diversity over time.

The analysis revealed structured ecological succession in the microbiome, with microbial communities transitioning through distinct phases as children age. It was found that children who later developed type 1 diabetes showed slower changes in their microbial community during their second year of life. By employing the novel bioinformatics tool Marker-MAGu, the study enabled simultaneous profiling of phages and bacteria, revealing a deeper understanding of their co-evolution. Phage profiling also improved the ability to geographically distinguish microbiomes, underscoring their role in shaping microbial ecosystems.

These findings highlight the crucial yet underappreciated role of phages in gut microbiota development and their potential influence on immune system maturation and disease risk. This work not only provides valuable insights into the early-life gut microbiome but also paves the way for phage-based therapeutic and diagnostic strategies.

Figure Description: Since phage often put negative selective pressure on their hosts, these bacteria may evolve evasive mutations in receptor-related genes or other entry factors. Relatedly, some bacteria can conduct phase variation, reversibly altering their surface molecules. Bacteria may also acquire phage-specific CRISPR spacers to fend off deleterious phage or acquire entirely new phage defence systems via horizontal gene transfer. Phage, on the other hand, will sometimes, but not always overcome these new defences via mutation of their own genes. In our study, we are unable to detect bacterial strain switching, in which a new strain of the same bacteria interlopes and outcompetes an existing strain. Strain switching will cause some or all of the bacteria-specific phage to be lost from the gut due to different receptors and defence systems, but it will provide opportunities for new phages. Finally, if a bacterial host becomes extinct, so will its obligate parasite phage, so phages are not expected to persist in the gut for long periods after elimination of its host.

Image Source: Tisza, M.J., Lloyd, R.E., Hoffman, K. et al. Nat Microbiol (2025)

Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-024-01906-4

Study workflow and bacterial communities in healthy skin and AD.

In this study published in Science Advances, Wolfgang Weninger and his team from the Medical University of Vienna, have highlighted the role of bacteriophages in the skin’s microbiome, particularly in relation to atopic dermatitis (AD).

By analyzing skin swabs from both healthy individuals and AD patients using shotgun metagenomics, the researchers identified over 13,000 potential viral DNA sequences. These sequences were combined into 164 putative viral genomes, 133 of which were identified as bacteriophages.

Interestingly, the study found that the diversity of these viral genomes, measured by the Shannon diversity index, did not correlate with the presence of AD. This suggests that the sheer variety of viruses isn’t the main factor in the disease’s progression. However, the research did uncover 28 viral genomes that significantly differed between healthy and AD-affected skin, indicating distinct viral communities in inflamed skin.

Moreover, the presence of these viral genomes was shown to be independent of the abundance of their bacterial hosts. This means that changes in the phageome aren’t just a byproduct of bacterial changes but may play a direct role in skin health and disease.

These findings suggest that shifts in the skin’s viral community could drive changes in bacterial populations, contributing to the development of AD. This opens up new possibilities for therapies that target both the viral and bacterial components of the skin microbiome.

Wolfgang Weninger will be discussing these insightful findings at the 7th World Conference Targeting Phage Therapy, taking place on June 20-21 in Malta. Learn more.

Article DOI.

Photo Credits: M. Wielscher et al. Sci. Adv. (2023)

Armed phages, engineered to carry a CRISPR–Cas , have demonstrated remarkable efficacy in combating Escherichia coli infections in animal models. Led by Antonia P. Sagona and Jessica Maree Lewis from the School of Life Sciences at the University of Warwick in Coventry, UK, this research represents significant progress in the fight against bacterial infections.

By harnessing the precision of CRISPR–Cas technology within the context of phage therapy, the study showcases a novel approach to combatting bacterial pathogens. Notably, the engineered phages exhibit the ability to mitigate E. coli infections without triggering adverse host immune responses, marking a critical advancement in therapeutic safety and efficacy.

The potential implications of this research extend far beyond the laboratory, offering hope for the development of innovative treatments for bacterial infections that are increasingly resistant to traditional antibiotics. With clinical trials, the prospect of armed phages as a viable therapeutic option is now within reach, promising a new era in infection management.

Article DOI.

Image Credits: By Freepik