How bacteria evade bacteriophages in vivo

Phage therapy, which uses viruses known as bacteriophages to treat bacterial infections, has been applied as a medical procedure for many years. However, knowledge of its mechanisms of action remains limited. Scientists from the Institut Pasteur and CNRS have demonstrated in vivo in a murine model that bacteria are capable of regulating their gene expression to evade numerous bacteriophages present in the gut environment. This research explains the difference in bacteriophage efficacy between in vitro and in vivo conditions. The findings were published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe.

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