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The public favors the development of bactericidal viruses as an alternative to antibiotics — and increased education efforts will increase their use of the treatment significantly more, a new study published in 2010 finds. PLOS ONE shows.
Due to the antimicrobial resistance crisis (AMR), previously treatable infections can be deadly. This has revived the development of alternatives to antibiotics, such as phage therapy, which was first explored over a century ago but abandoned in favor of antibiotics in many countries.
The study shows that public acceptance of phage therapy is already fairly high, and getting people to think about new drugs and antibiotic resistance significantly increases their likelihood of using it.
There is greater acceptance of phage therapy when it is described without using perceived harsh words, such as “kill” and “virus”, but instead “natural bacterial predator”.
Those who took part in the survey were very aware of antibiotic resistance: 92% had heard of antibiotic resistance, but only 13% reported having heard about phage therapy prior to the survey. Success and side effects rate, duration of treatment and where the drug is approved for use influenced their treatment preferences.
The study was carried out by Sophie McCammon, Kirils Makarovs, Susan Banducci and Vicki Gold from the University of Exeter.
Dr. Banducci said: “Although phage therapy is poorly understood by the UK public, our research suggests that there is extensive acceptance and support for its development. Exposure to only very limited information on antibiotic resistance and alternative treatments to antibiotics is increasing public acceptance of phage therapy. ”
Dr. Gold explained, “Those involved in the research wanted to learn more about phage therapy and were inspired to research this topic after completing our survey. Exposure to only a very limited amount of information about phage therapy significantly increases adoption.”
Researchers held a workshop with experts and a review of phage research. They also conducted a survey assessing the acceptance, opinions and preferences of the British public regarding phage therapy. A total of 787 people completed the survey, which was distributed in December 2021.
One group was given two scenarios; in the first they got a mild infection and in the second they got an infection that didn’t respond well to antibiotics for three months. In each scenario, the group ranked the selected attributes according to their importance in deciding whether or not to accept treatment.
Participants were randomly assigned one of four descriptions of phage therapy and then questioned to rate their acceptance of the treatment. The acceptance of phage therapy was high across the board. However, describing phage therapy using perceived harsh words, such as “kill” and “virus”, resulted in lower acceptance rates than alternative descriptions. In addition, participants who had been recently exposed to information about antibiotic resistance and alternative treatments were more accepting of phage therapy.
Of the 787 participants who completed the survey, 213 left written responses expressing their views on the potential of phage therapy. Of this group, 38% showed specific interest in the development of phage therapy, while another 17% supported the development of alternatives to antibiotics in general.
Sophie McCammon commented: “An advantage of phage therapy is often the minimal side effects. Highlighting this through education and marketing can increase public acceptance of phage therapy.
“While phage therapy may be several years away from routine clinical use in the UK, the mounting pressure of the AMR crisis requires a review of the UK public’s acceptance of alternative treatments.
“The public desire for more education is clear. Expanding programs that involve children interactively in phage research not only generates excitement for the therapy now, but also raises awareness in the generation likely to be treated with antibiotic alternatives.”
More information:
Sophie McCammon et al, Phage therapy and the public: awareness essential for widespread use, PLOS ONE (2023). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285824
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