Canadian researchers have created* an antibacterial gel containing only bacteriophages. The gel has potential applications in many areas of medicine. Specifically, it could be used as a coating for implants and artificial joints, as a sterile scaffold for growing human tissue, or, for example, for cleaning surfaces from contaminants.

Bacteriophages (phages) are the most numerous creatures in the world. Wherever there are bacteria, there are bacteriophages. Now that medicine is faced with the problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, bacteriophages are being viewed as promising antibacterial agents. They are increasingly being used to treat antibiotic-resistant infections.

Scientists from McMaster University (Hamilton, Canada), specializing in developing engineering solutions to combat infections, have packed a huge number of bacteriophages so tightly that they form a liquid crystal. Using a chemical cross-linking agent, these bacteriophages formed a gelatin-like gel that can reform its structure when damaged. A 1 mm diameter piece of gel contains 300 trillion phage particles. For the first time, thanks to the high concentration of bacteriophages, the scientists have succeeded in creating a solid material from viral particles.

The authors of the development note that the gel can be formed from both natural and genetically modified bacteriophages, which, in turn, can be used in a wide variety of areas – from treating cancer tumors to cleaning up environmental pollution.

* Peivandi A, Mahabir LTR, Hosseinidoust Z. Hierarchically Structured, Self-Healing, Fluorescent, Bioactive Hydrogels with Self-Organizing Bundles of Phage Nanofilaments. Chem. Mater., Publication Date: July 24, 2019 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.9b00720