VATIS UPDATE Article

A group of US researchers from University of Wisconsin-Madison, the United States, has proposed a cutting edge alternative for eliminating resilient bacteria in the form of a “CRISPR pill”. The drug can specifically target harmful bugs using a combination of bacteria-seeking viruses and a cocktail of probiotics, making it more potent than most antibiotics. The study was funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH).

The edible “CRISPR pill” is intended to seek and destroy targeted bacteria within our body with scalpel-like precision. It combines specific bacteria-infecting viruses (bacteriophages) that carry genetic self-destruct instructions and a mix of probiotic “good bacteria”. These bacteria fighting duo is designed to effectively eliminate specific harmful strains of bugs, making it a highly promising candidate for treating antibiotic-resistant microbes.

The novel drug is currently directed to fight Clostridium difficile, a common pathogen known to cause fatal infections if it develops antibiotic resistance. It has been classified as a top drug-resistant threat by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and is estimated to account for 15.000 deaths and $ 1 trillion in medical expenses annually in the US alone.