Gut Phage Biobank Develops New Therapeutic Tools for Obesity Management
A recent study has introduced a comprehensive workflow for isolating gut phages, which are bacteriophages targeting human commensal bacteria. This research, conducted by a team of scientists, focuses on the potential of these phages as therapeutic tools for manipulating the gut microbiome. The study highlights the inhibitory effects of phages targeting specific bacterial strains, such as M. gnavus and D. longicatena, which are implicated in obesity. The researchers employed various methods, including classic plaque assays, repetitive enrichment, and metagenomics-guided approaches, to isolate 104 phages targeting 29 gut bacterial species. The study emphasizes the potential of these phages in obesity management by selectively inhibiting the proliferation of specific bacterial hosts. 
