Research into bacteriophage therapy in Guntur has made promising progress, with a local medical team reporting success in treating multidrug-resistant infections. The findings have been published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases (IJID Regions), while the research has also received a biomedical research grant from the Sree Padmavathi Venkateswara Foundation.

Marking World Bacteriophage Day on Thursday and Bacteriophage Week from October 22 to 28, Dr. Kalyan Chakravarthy Koganti, the researcher, sepsis and infectious diseases specialist at SHRI Hospital, highlighted the team’s research and its potential benefits for patients who do not respond to conventional antibiotics.

A patient had suffered from a persistently discharging wound in his left knee caused by multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Despite multiple courses of antibiotics at different institutions, he had not achieved complete recovery. After approaching Dr. Kalyan and his team, he underwent phage therapy and recovered completely.

He has reportedly remained infection-free and has been able to walk for the past nine months, Dr. Kalyan informed.

Dr. Sutharsan Govindarajan, associate professor and phage biologist at SRM University-A.P., developed the required bacteriophages. Molecular biologist Dr. Sandeep Nadendla, CEO of Ipseity Diagnostics and Research, provided technical support.

Orthopaedician Dr. Raviteja Yarlagadda and critical care specialist Dr. Ramakrishna Prasad K. of SHRI Hospital extended clinical support. The team hopes its research will benefit more patients with drug-resistant infections.