Immunophage synergy for treating acute bacterial infections
Joshua S. Weitz
Theoretical Ecology and Quantitative Biology, Georgia Tech

The global spread of multi-drug resistance has spurred renewed interest in the therapeutic use of bacteriophages (phages) to control bacterial infections. Here, I describe systematic investigation of the effects of host innate immune status on the efficacy of phage curative and prophylactic therapies for acute pneumonia. Integrating in vivo experiments and mathematical modeling, I explain how phage lysis and host innate immunity work synergistically to cure otherwise fatal infections.