On page 94, it is mentioned that lytic phages must be used for phage therapy rather than lysogenic phages. Throughout this chapter, many examples are given to show that some of the most deadly bacteria have come from lysogenic phages. This is most likely attributed to the fact that they incorporate their DNA into the host and then lie dormant for an extended period of time. This allows for many mutations to arise. Also, if a lysogenic phage is used, and it carries a toxin gene, that gene has the chance to start a chain reaction which will lead to cell death. So, if I had to decide what to do before approving phage therapy, I would come up with some type of software that could screen the phages that will be used for the therapy. In the screening, I would make sure that all phages being used were in fact lytic phages. I would also have it screen the DNA for toxin genes, just in case there was a mistake where a lysogenic phage was used. I would also try to engineering the lytic phages so that after replication, they would not lyse the host cell. The book mentions a possibility of the cell lysing and releasing toxins into the surrounding area. This has a very slim chance of hurting us if the host cell is in us, but the chance is still there. These are the two many things that I would focus on as a scientist that is trying to get phage therapy into clinical practice.

The current system of phage therapy has some risks to it. One of these is represented by the possibility of pushing the bacteria host to become even more resistant. Also, phage therapy struggles with the problem of a narrow host range for each phage; thus, the wrong phage will not work and may even cause a negative effect. A risk also lies in the immunogenicity of the phages, and the pharmacokinetic behaviors that follow along. Although, even with these possible risks, phage therapy has great pros to offer. This is why I believe phage therapy should be researched more so that it can be used in clinical practice, but first, screening for lytic phages only should be done; specifically those that do not lyse the cell after replication.