2. Due to their specificity, phages do not cause a selection of resistances in the useful bacteria that live in and on the body.

3. We are constantly ingesting phages. In general, they are harmless to human beings. When well-purified phages are used, few side effects have been described for all types of administration.

4. Phages are an ‘intelligent’ drug. They multiply at the site of the infection until there are no more bacteria. Then they are excreted.

5. Bacteria that have become resistant to a certain type of phage continue to be destroyed by other types.

6. Phages are found throughout nature. This means that it is easy to find new phages when bacteria become resistant to them.

7. Evolution drives the rapid emergence of new phages that can destroy bacteria that have become resistant. This means that there should be an ‘inexhaustible’ supply.

8. Some resistant bacteria that have been selected during treatment with phages are less virulent and can be fought by the immune system.

9. Phages are also active against bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics.

10. Phages can be genetically modified in order to make up for some of their disadvantages.

11. Individual components of phages (e.g. lysins) can also be used as antibiotic substances. So far resistances have not occurred despite comprehensive testing.

2. The great specificity of phages is a disadvantage when the exact species of infecting bacteria is unknown or if there is a multiple infection.

3. Bacteria can also become resistant to phages.

4. Bacteria have a type of ‘immune system’ that destroys the hereditary material of some penetrating phages. Only suitable phages can conquer this ‘immune system’.

5. In comparison to chemical molecules, phages are relatively large. For this reason, the sites in the body that can be reached by them must be carefully clarified.

6. Infections whose agents are hidden in the interior of human cells may be inaccessible to phages.

7. Phages that are injected into the bloodstream are recognized by the human immune system. Some of them are quickly excreted and, after a certain period, antibodies against the phages are produced by the body. For this reason, it appears that one type of phage can only be used once for intravenous treatment.

8. In comparison to chemical molecules, phages are complex organisms that can transfer toxin genes between bacteria.

9. The shelf life of phages varies and needs to be tested and monitored.

10. Phages are more difficult to administer than antibiotics. A physician needs special training in order to correctly prescribe and use phages.

1)Sue-Er Hsieh, Yi-Hsiung Tseng, Hsueh-Hsia Lo, Shui-Tu Chen,Cheng-Nan Wu (2015, December 26) Genomic analysis of Staphylococcus phage Stau2 isolated from medical specimen. Retrieved December 11, 2017 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26706853

2)Zelin Cui, Tingting Feng, Feifei Gu, Qingtian Li, Ke Dong, Yan Zhang, Yongzhang Zhu, Lizhong Han, Jinhong Qin,  Xiaokui Guo (2017, February 8) Characterization and complete genome of the virulent Myoviridae phage JD007 active against a variety of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from different hospitals in Shanghai, China. Retrieved December 11,2017 from https://virologyj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12985-017-0701-0