How genetically engineered viruses prolonged a teenager’s life

In what seems to be a first, genetically engineered phages alleviated bacterial infection in a patient with cystic fibrosis, according to a new study published in Nature Medicine. Researchers developed a cocktail of three bacteria-killing viruses in one cocktail — and two of them were engineered to better kill the bacterial strain that was infecting the patient. After over six months of therapy, the 15-year-old patient went from barely being able to talk or move to eating well and learning to drive. Scientists still have reservations about this kind of therapy, be it genetically engineered or not, as it isn't supported by robust clinical trials. However, “this case study, it sort of kicks the door open just a little bit,” Graham Hatfull, one of the study’s co-authors told STAT.