Phage therapy: The peculiar kinetics of self-replicating pharmaceuticals

The specter of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has provoked renewed interest in the possible use of bacteriophages to control bacterial infections. We a rgue that clinical application of phage therapy has been held back by a fai lure to appreciate the extent to which the pharmacokinetics of self-replica ting agents differ from those of normal drugs. For self-replicating pharmac eutical agents, treatment outcome depends critically on various density-dep endent thresholds, often with apparently paradoxical consequences. An abili ty to predict these thresholds and associated critical time points is a nec essity if phage therapy is to become clinically practicable.