Laboratory of Bacteriophages

Research profile:

  • Phage procurement for therapeutic purposes
  • biological, morphological and genetic characteristics of phages
  • studies on new bacteriophage preparations (purification and storage of bacteriophages for therapeutic purposes)
  • the influence of bacteriophages on the immune system and monitoring the effects of phage therapy on this system
  • studies on the use of bacteriophages to treat bacterial infections:
    • preclinical studies of bacteriophage preparations (tissue penetration, pharmacokinetics, effectiveness in animal models, toxicity)
    • phage-resistance monitoring of bacterial strains
    • experimental phage therapy in animals
    • research on the use of phages for food and environmental protection
    • providing logistics for experimental phage therapy in humans

Current research:

  • Studies on Enterococcus phages isolated from patients with urinary tract infections involving its anti-biofilm action.
  • Optimalization of isolation and amplification of Acinetobacter baumannii The development of methodology allowing for their extended stability in phage preparations.
  • Studies on phage ability to induce defensin production by epithelial cells (especially hBD-2).

Contact

Head

Head: Prof. dr hab. n. med. Andrzej Górski, specialty: internal medicine; subspecialty: clinical immunology. (0000-0002-0863-6041)

Prof. Andrzej Górski has been associated with the Institute initially as a member of its scientific council, then as it chair since 1999. After his first term as rector of the Medical Academy in Warsaw he decided to apply for a post of a director of the Institute. As a head of Bacteriophage Laboratory he leads the team engaged in unique research on bacteriophages. The results of those studies have been published in reputed journals opening new perspectives for the therapeutic applications of phages not only as anti-bacterials but also as immunomodulators. His initiative led to the establishment in 2005 of unique Phage Therapy Center treating patients with antibiotics-resistant infections with experimental phage therapy. Prof. A. Górski is also editor in chief of AITE, an Institute’s journal that became one of the leading scientific journal in Poland with IF of 3.2 (2022). Prof. A. Górski has also been active in the field of ethics in science that led to his election as chair, Commission for Ethics in Science (since 2019).

Research team
Research team:

Employees employed under projects only:

  • MSc eng. Filip Orwat – specialist – project 2022/ABM/01/00036

PhD students:

  • MSc eng. Hubert Kasprzak
Most important 3 scientific achievements
  • Demonstration that phages have immunomodulatory properties while different phages may mediate various effects – this may be applicable in the treatment of autoimmune diseases and in transplantation (Górski A. et al. Therapeutic phages as modulators of the immune response: practical implications. Clin Infect Dis., in press; Górski A. et al. “Phages and immunomodulation.” Future Microbiology 12 (2017): 905-914. doi:10.2217/fmb-2017-0049).
  • Project nr 2022/ABM/01/00036 founded by the polish Medical Research Agency: „Non-commercial clinical trial to confirm the safety and effectiveness of phage therapy in the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis – RHINOPHAGE” received in 2022.
  • Demonstration that the appearance of anti-phage antibodies in sera of patients on phage therapy does not exclude positive effects of the therapy.
Research methodologies
  • In vitro tests on cell cultures.
  • Statistical analysis of clinical data of patients treated with phages.
  • Adam’s method to determine phage lytic activity.
  • Gratia method to study RTD (routine test dilution).
  • Colorimetric method to detect phage presence in biological and environmental samples.
  • ELISA mehod to determine anti-phage antibodies in patients treated with phage therapy.
  • Bacteriophage purification using chromatography methods.
  • Plate method to search for and isolate phages from tested samples.
  • Double layer method, routine test dilution method to determinate phage activity.
  • Cell cultures.
  • ELISA method to determine phage interactions with eukaryotic cells.
Key research instrumentation
  • laminar flow chambers S@peflow 1.2. BIOAIR
  • laminar flow chamber CLAS II NUAIRE
  • Co2 incubator, Galaxy 48 New Brunswick
  • light microscope with digital camera Leica
  • microbiological analyser VITEK 2 – compact BioMerieux
  • Apparatus for anaerobic cultures Whitley H 35 HEPA
  • Cell and phage counter ProtoCOL SYNBIOSIS
  • Spectrophotometer Eppendorf
  • ELISA reader
  • High speed centrifuge Sigma 3- 30 KS
Main research projects
  • „Non-commercial clinical trial to confirm the safety and effectiveness of phage therapy in the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis – RHINOPHAGE”, Medical Research Agency, ABM/2022/1, 2022/ABM/01/00036, date of implementation: 01.10.2022 r. – 30.09.2028, Head: dr hab. Tomasz Zatoński (Medical University in Wrocław), Administrative manager: dr hab. Ryszard Międzybrodzki (Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy). The project budget: 15 405 394,71 zł
  • “Study of the composition of a bacteriophage preparation specific to multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii clinical strains”, The National Centre for Research and Development, Small Grant Scheme, NOR/SGS/ACIPHAGE/0192/2020, date of implementation: 01.06.2021 – 31.05.2023, Head: mgr inż. Natalia Bagińska. The project budget: 800 000 zł
  • “Studies on the immunomodulatory effects of bacteriophages on functions of immune cells”, National Science Centre, 2018/31/B/NZ6/03999 OPUS 16, date of implementation:09.2019 – 11.09.2022, Head: Dr hab. Ryszard Międzybrodzki. The project budget: 1 499 000 zł.
  • „Database of Scientific Information Supporting Innovative Therapies (BINWIT)”, European Funds Digital Poland, 02.03.01-IP.01-00-006/17, date of implementation: 01.08.2018 – 31.07.2021, Head: dr Krzysztof Jakub Pawlik, Head of the Bacteriophages Team – Prof. Andrzej Górski. The project budget: 18 867 895 zł.
  • „Antiviral effects of phages”, National Science Centre, 2013/11/B/NZ1/02107, OPUS 6, date of implementation :20.08.2014 – 19.08.2018, Head: Prof. Andrzej Górski. The project budget: 929 600 zł.
  • „Optimization of the characteristics and preparation of phage preparations for therapeutic purposes”, The National Centre for Research and Development, Operational Programme Innovative Economy, POIG.01.03.01-02-003/08, date of implementation: 01.09.2007 – 31.08.2014, Head: Andrzej Górski. The project budget: 13 660 000 zł.
  • „Innovative bacteriophage protective preparation for use in the diabetic foot syndrome”, The National Centre for Research and Development, Operational Programme Innovative Economy, POIG.01.03.01-02-048/12, date of implementation:04.2013 – 31.12.2015, Head: Dr Beata Weber-Dąbrowska. The project budget: 9 137 820 zł
  • “The development and implementation of a bacteriophage preparation intended to use in the treatment and  prevention of the American and European foulbrood of honey bee”, The National Centre for Research and Development, 04.01.04-00-0126/16, date of implementation: 01.03.2017- 31.12. 2019, Head: Dr Ewa Jończyk-Matysiak. The project budget: 4 868 154,72 zł.
Selected publications
  • Górski A, Międzybrodzki R, Jończyk-Matysiak E, Kniotek M, Letkiewicz S. Therapeutic phages as modulators of the immune response: practical implications. Clin Infect Dis., in press.
  • Międzybrodzki R , Kasprzak H, Letkiewicz S , Rogóż P, Żaczek M, Jamon T, Górski A. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic obstacles for phage therapy from the perspective of clinical practices. Clin Infect Dis., in press.
  • Bagińska N, Harhala M, Cieślik M, Orwat F, Weber-Dąbrowska B, Dąbrowska K, Górski A, Jończyk-Matysiak E. Biological Properties of 12 Newly Isolated Acinetobacter baumannii-Specific Bacteriophages. Viruses. 2023;15(1):231. doi: 10.3390/v15010231.
  • Żaczek M, Górski A, Grzybowski A, Pasternak E, Weber-Dąbrowska B, Międzybrodzki R. How Interest in Phages Has Bloomed into a Leading Medical Research Activity in Poland. Viruses 2022, 14, 2617. https://doi.org/10.3390/v14122617
  • Górski A, Borysowski J, Międzybrodzki R. The contribution of phage therapy to medical knowledge. J Glob Antimicrob Resist. 2022;28:238-240. doi: 10.1016/j.jgar.2022.01.019.
  • Łobocka M, Dąbrowska K, Górski A. Engineered Bacteriophage Therapeutics: Rationale, Challenges and Future. BioDrugs. 2021;35(3):255-280. doi: 10.1007/s40259-021-00480-z.
  • Borysowski J, Górski A. ClinicalTrials.gov as a Source of Information About Expanded Access Programs: Cohort Study. J Med Internet Res. 2021;23(10):e26890. doi: 10.2196/26890.
  • Borysowski J, Górski A. Public availability of results of ClinicalTrials.gov-registered expanded access studies. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2021;87(12):4701-4708. doi: 10.1111/bcp.14890.
  • Górski A, Międzybrodzki R, Węgrzyn G, Jończyk-Matysiak E, Borysowski J, Weber-Dąbrowska B. Phage therapy: Current status and perspectives. Res. Rev. 2020; 40(1):459-463. doi: 10.1002/med.21593.
  • Górski A, Bollyky PL, Przybylski M, Borysowski J, Międzybrodzki R, Jończyk-Matysiak E, Weber-Dąbrowska B. Perspectives of Phage Therapy in Non-bacterial Infections. Front Microbiol. 2019;9:3306. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.03306.