In February 2016, infectious disease epidemiologist, Dr. Steffanie Strathdee, was holding her dying husband’s hand, watching him lose an exhausting fight against a deadly superbug infection. The cause? Acinetobacter baumannii, a virulent bacterium resistant to nearly all antibiotics. Today, A. baumannii tops the World Health Organization’s list of dangerous pathogens. Dr. Strathdee describes this microorganism as “something of a bacterial kleptomaniac; it's really good at stealing antimicrobial resistance genes from other bacteria.”(1)

This lethal infection caused Tom Patterson, Dr. Strathdee’s husband, to develop multi-organ failure. With not much hope left for a recovery, Dr. Strathdee scoured the internet to find something–anything–that could save her husband’s life. An article about phage therapy piqued her interest and she raised the idea with her husband’s doctor, Dr. Robert “Chip” Schooley. With the approval from the FDA, Dr. Schooley agreed to give this therapy a try.(2) Dr. Strathdee immediately contacted the few researchers she could find working on A. baumanii and the associated viral phages. Bacteriophages are viruses that specifically infect and kill certain bacteria. (3) In just a few weeks, a cocktail of four phages from Texas A&M University was ready to give to Tom. The US Naval Medical Research Center additionally provided a second four-phage cocktail from their phage library.(4)

Simply put, there are two types of phages: lytic and temperate. Lytic phages infect specific bacterial cells and cause the cells to burst, thus stopping an infection. Temperate phages don’t kill bacterial cells and may eventually lyse the cell but this does little to thwart infection. "It's like [having] a million keys and you're trying to sort through a million locks to figure out which key matches the lock," Dr. Strathdee said.(5)

Phage therapy isn’t new–with its origins dating back over 100 years to the Soviet Union. French-Canadian microbiologist, Felix d’Herelle, used phages to combat bacterial infections such as typhoid and cholera which jump started international efforts. Early studies were promising, though often improperly designed and most were published in non-English journals making them inaccessible to the West. Many factors such as preservation and specific targets were not well understood. In addition, the cold war and societal factors such as the sentiment between western and eastern Europe post-WWII along with the discovery of penicillin as a panacea was the nail-in the coffin for phage research and therapy in the western world.(6) 

Tom Patterson was in luck for Dr. Ryland Young from Texas A&M University had discovered four promising phages that destroyed the antibiotic resistant bacteria in vitro. Several hurdles such as purifying the phages and legal concerns were fast-tracked thanks in part to Dr. Strathdee’s tenacity and networking. "It was like the parting of the Red Sea—all the paperwork and hesitation disappeared.”(7) The purified cocktails from Young’s lab and the Navy were both injected into the pus-filled abscesses in Tom’s abdomen and bloodstream to take down the bacteria. Three days later, Tom lifted his head out of a deep coma and kissed his daughter’s hand. Today, more than six years later, Tom is happily retired, walking and gardening once more.

To read more about this amazing story and the heroics behind the scenes, you can purchase/rent Tom Patterson and Dr. Steffanie Strathdee’s memoir: The Perfect Predator: A Scientist's Race to Save Her Husband From a Deadly Superbug.

In these days of increasingly severe bacterial resistance, it is hoped that phage therapy will one day be perfected and become the norm, in spite of the fact that the profit potential is nowhere near that of what the big pharmaceutical companies expect. 

by Anna Klavins, Yesenia Morales, Francisco Pinon

R&D Department

Hardy Diagnostics

References: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Two years ago, there was virtually no flu season due to COVID-19 isolation.

Last year, we had an influenza season that began in December. By January, it seemed like it was going to result in a moderately severe season, but the cases of flu abruptly plummeted and though the season lasted into May, it was exceptionally mild. With two milder-than-usual flu seasons, COVID-19 mask and social distance fatigue, and low levels of immunity, experts are concerned we may see much higher cases of influenza this season.(1) Already this year, Australia’s winter saw its worst season in five years with children especially hard hit.

In addition, experts predict another COVID-19 surge this fall and winter.(2) According to the World Health Organization’s early October global situation report, more than 1.5 million COVID-19 diagnosis were reported across Europe during the week ending Oct. 2, about 8% more than the prior week.(3) While the U.S. does not always follow in Europe’s footsteps, it is enough of a spike to be on alert. Get prepared now for this year's flu season with Hardy Diagnostics products to help detect and protect against influenza and COVID-19.(4)



By Megan Roesner

Resources: 1, 2, 3, 4

Bacterial metabolites in the gut control human metabolism

Years of extensive research on the human gut microflora has shown the presence or absence of certain bacterial species is associated with obesity.(1) Among an increase in fad diets, probiotics, and supplements targeting weight loss, it appears that a diet rich in whole grains can prevent type 2 diabetes with the help of certain intestinal bacteria.

The association between the concentration of bacterial metabolites and human health was discovered by the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study.(2, 3) 200 overweight participants with poor glucose tolerance were monitored over fifteen years. Serum metabolites were analyzed and compared between two groups: those who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and those who were not. Results indicated a negative correlation between the concentration of indoleproprionic acid (IPA), among other lipid metabolites, and the incidence of type 2 diabetes.

Intestinal bacteria metabolize whole grains into compounds such as IPA. IPA promotes insulin secretion by the pancreas, thus regulating blood glucose. People who have type 2 diabetes are not able to regulate their blood glucose, resulting in high blood glucose levels.(2)

Intestinal bacteria also produce lipid metabolites primarily associated with low consumption of saturated fats. These long-chain unsaturated metabolites protect against inflammation, stimulate insulin secretion, and increase glucose uptake by cells.(2) This increases the ability to properly regulate glucose and prevent insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes.

Diets high in fiber and low in saturated fats have shown benefits in preventing obesity, heart disease, and diabetes for years. Uncovering the exact mechanisms linking diet to lifestyle disease will pave the way for future research into supplemental dietary treatment, which may be cheaper than insulin. With this knowledge, dieticians will be able to recommend diets or supplements to precisely lower blood sugar in pre-diabetic and high-risk patients, lowering healthcare costs and improving quality of life for millions.

By Sarah Hepler

R&D Microbiologist, Hardy Diagnostics

References: 1, 2, 3