Using Bacteria as a Symbiotic Hunter

[Ethereal]

Whup de doo, my first post

 

Seriously, for all you biomedical experts out there, is it theoretically possible to genetically engineer bacteria to hunt pathogens for common human diseases? This would only work for bacteria-eating bacteria, (as far as I know there are no virus-eating bacteria), so this would elimnate a sizable number of ailments, from HIV to the common cold. For diseases such as Tuberculosis, however, couldn't you modify a common strain to hunt down the pathogen?

 

First thread, so please, be gentle

[NPK]

What about using specific bacteriophages to kill pathogens?

[Connor]

yeah, seems like a virus may be better suited to hunt bacteria

[Hegemony]

I just read an article that talked about using bacteriophages instead of antibiotics. Seems like it may be the next wave. Apparently it was first done by some soviet doctors when an unsuspecting man slept next to a discarded drum of nuclear waste because it was warm. He recieved major burns. His wounds became infected and the doctors applied bandages filled with bacteriophages. The man survived. A professor tells me that some companies are working on dressings designed to release bacteriophage into a wound at a constant rate.

[tejaswini]

What about using specific bacteriophages to kill pathogens?

sure but how are we going to use them for killing enteric bacteria.the bacteriophage will be killed by the enzymes before it reaches the targeted area.This treatment can be possible in case of skin infections only. or may be if we can device a method for introducing these phages into the body safely.

and i think they have to highly specific or all the commensels can be destroyed.