Just out in Science magazine, we report that phage PROMOTE bacterial infections by triggering maladaptive anti-viral responses in human cells and suppressing anti-bacterial ones. Pf, a phage produced by the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa is taken up by human cells at sites of infection and triggers TLR3 and TRIF mediated suppression of phagocytosis and TNF production. Conversely, a vaccine directed against these phage was protective against these same bacterial infections. Congratulations especially to the lead author Jolien Sweere but also Jonas Van Belleghem, Medea Popescu, Christiaan De Vries, Pat Secor, Gina Suh, Sundeep Keswani, and the rest of our lab members and collaborators who contributed to this work! Check it out here: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/363/6434/eaat9691.
Video of Pf bacteriophage (green) within a human cell (actin = purple, nucleus = purple).
The Bollyky Lab 