WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.827 --> 00:00:03.910 (techno-style music) 2 00:00:09.600 --> 00:00:11.090 In your nose, on your mouth, 3 00:00:11.090 --> 00:00:12.934 line:15% and on the surfaces all around you, 4 00:00:12.934 --> 00:00:17.360 line:15% is a bacteria called staphylococcus aureus, or staph. 5 00:00:17.360 --> 00:00:19.870 While this bacteria is typically harmless, 6 00:00:19.870 --> 00:00:22.750 recently, antibiotic-resistant strains of this 7 00:00:22.750 --> 00:00:26.260 such as MRSA, have induced devastating infections 8 00:00:26.260 --> 00:00:29.353 of the heart, lungs, skin, and bone. 9 00:00:30.290 --> 00:00:32.670 Alone, MRSA infections are responsible 10 00:00:32.670 --> 00:00:36.270 for over $4.2 billion of healthcare costs, 11 00:00:36.270 --> 00:00:38.450 and 1.2 million hospitalizations 12 00:00:38.450 --> 00:00:41.010 in the United States each year. 13 00:00:41.010 --> 00:00:43.110 The reason these numbers are so high 14 00:00:43.110 --> 00:00:44.430 is because there are virtually 15 00:00:44.430 --> 00:00:47.260 no treatment options for these infections. 16 00:00:47.260 --> 00:00:50.350 We hypothesize that a bacteria-eating virus 17 00:00:50.350 --> 00:00:53.660 called a bacteria phage, could fill this niche. 18 00:00:53.660 --> 00:00:56.440 These viruses are found abundantly in nature, 19 00:00:56.440 --> 00:00:59.218 are highly specific and non-toxic. 20 00:00:59.218 --> 00:01:02.640 To evaluate these viruses, we chose to focus 21 00:01:02.640 --> 00:01:05.700 on osteomyelitis, or bone infection. 22 00:01:05.700 --> 00:01:06.960 Patients with this disease 23 00:01:06.960 --> 00:01:09.670 often undergo amputation or death. 24 00:01:09.670 --> 00:01:11.860 This is because the architecture of bone 25 00:01:11.860 --> 00:01:14.760 forms a great place for bacteria to hide. 26 00:01:14.760 --> 00:01:17.730 We assume that if we could treat osteomyelitis, 27 00:01:17.730 --> 00:01:19.070 we'd be able to treat all of the 28 00:01:19.070 --> 00:01:20.790 other MRSA-induced infections. 29 00:01:20.790 --> 00:01:24.610 And thus, we chose to focus on this type of infection. 30 00:01:24.610 --> 00:01:27.830 We first decided to make our bacterial strain fluorescent, 31 00:01:27.830 --> 00:01:29.980 which you can see right here above. 32 00:01:29.980 --> 00:01:33.110 At even four times the clinically recommended amount 33 00:01:33.110 --> 00:01:36.803 of vancomycin, a very common antibiotic for this disease, 34 00:01:36.803 --> 00:01:39.110 we are unable to clear the bacteria, 35 00:01:39.110 --> 00:01:42.070 indicated by the presence of the green above. 36 00:01:42.070 --> 00:01:45.480 However, when we used our bacteria phage, or virus, 37 00:01:45.480 --> 00:01:47.650 where we see the black panel, this is because 38 00:01:47.650 --> 00:01:50.310 we've completely cleared the bacteria. 39 00:01:50.310 --> 00:01:52.132 After completing this testing, 40 00:01:52.132 --> 00:01:54.840 we decided to move on to testing in a living model, 41 00:01:54.840 --> 00:01:57.640 which you can see on the left hand side of my slide. 42 00:01:57.640 --> 00:02:00.310 To induce infection in a rat, we first cultured 43 00:02:00.310 --> 00:02:02.740 our glowing bacteria onto a screw 44 00:02:02.740 --> 00:02:05.320 and then placed it into the femur of the rat. 45 00:02:05.320 --> 00:02:08.050 Within one week, infection was established, 46 00:02:08.050 --> 00:02:10.060 and it was at this time that the rat received 47 00:02:10.060 --> 00:02:14.593 either vancomycin or phage, or a combination of the two. 48 00:02:15.510 --> 00:02:18.147 You can see in the bottom portion of this figure 49 00:02:18.147 --> 00:02:21.520 that the phage was able to successfully clear infection, 50 00:02:21.520 --> 00:02:23.410 although not entirely. 51 00:02:23.410 --> 00:02:26.220 Ultimately, our goal was to either meet 52 00:02:26.220 --> 00:02:29.164 the same efficacy of antibiotics, or approve upon them, 53 00:02:29.164 --> 00:02:31.880 and we do feel that we have done this. 54 00:02:31.880 --> 00:02:34.824 Thus, we believe that virus-based therapeutics, 55 00:02:34.824 --> 00:02:38.220 such as bacteria phages, as we've discussed, 56 00:02:38.220 --> 00:02:41.010 have the potential to save not only millions of dollars 57 00:02:41.010 --> 00:02:43.480 of healthcare costs, but the lives of you, 58 00:02:43.480 --> 00:02:45.540 me, and the ones that we love. 59 00:02:45.540 --> 00:02:46.373 Thank you.