Bacteriophage Life Cycle - How Phage Therapy Works

Lytic phages, the kind used in bacteriophage therapy, work in the following manner:

1. Absorbtion: Phages "trick" the infecting bacteria into absorbing them. There is what's called "viral specificity" in this process, basically meaning that the phage target and are only absorbed by the specific bacteria in question (causing the problem), not "good" cells or bactrium that helps us in some way.


2. Penetration: Sort of a second step in absorbtion, where the phage basically makes itself at home, joining with the "bacterial cytoplasm" or the hosts insides.


3. Replication : The Phage completely shuts down the problematic bacteria's ability to reproduce, and shortly therafter its ability to do anything at all. Then the bacteriophage reproduces, still within the host bacterium.


4. Release: The bacteria literally blows up from having all these phage within it, releasing up to 200 more bacteriophages that can target even more bacteria!


5. Reinfection: The released phages find new specific targets - again, only the very specific bacteria that is causing the person or animal a problem.