6–7.8), in Europe (1.6–6.4), and in Canada and the United States (3.3–3.8) [1]. This type of cancer is usually characterised with high metastatic activity see more and relatively high fatality. Besides the constantly emphasised role of early recognition and prevention, surgical removal of tumour and chemotherapy constitute the standard treatment [2]. Surgical procedures and hospital treatment expose cancer patients to a high level of hospital

bacterial infections. The risk of hospital bacterial infection is substantial. According to the World Health Organization, between 5% and 10% of patients admitted to hospitals in industrial countries and more than 25% of those in developing countries acquire such infections. This means hundreds of millions of hospital infections every year and a substantial death rate [3]. “”Hospital”" strains of bacteria are the main representatives of antibiotic-resistant, often multi-drug-resistant, microorganisms. Bacteria are particularly efficient in developing resistance because of their ability to multiply very rapidly and because they can easily transfer their resistance genes (by normal replication and conjugation). Hospitals are a critical component of the antimicrobial

resistance problem worldwide. Selleckchem STA-9090 This results from the combination of highly susceptible patients, intensive and prolonged antimicrobial use, and easy cross-infection [4]. Bacteriophages, bacterial viruses unable to infect eukaryotic cells, constitute a serious alternative to antibiotic therapy of bacterial infections [5]. These viruses have been known for almost a hundred years, but renewed interest was noted as the crisis of antibiotic

resistance in bacteria became serious. Although phage therapy is limited to only a few therapeutic centres worldwide, the Farnesyltransferase available data documents its high effectiveness and safety. Complete independence from antibiotics’ antimicrobial mechanisms was also shown, i.e. bacteriophages do not follow antibiotics’ cross-resistance and can be fully effective on antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains [6–9]. The antibacterial activity of bacteriophages has been described rather well and its molecular mechanisms and qualifying agents are also well known. However, knowledge about the direct interactions of bacteriophages with mammalian organisms and their other (i.e. non-antibacterial) activities in mammalian systems is quite scarce. As bacteriophages are unable to infect mammalian cells, they are considered a neutral object characterised by their antigenic properties [10]. It must be emphasised that bacteriophages are natural S63845 in vivo parasites of bacteria, which in turn are parasites or symbionts of mammals (including humans). This implies a role of mammalian organisms as a special environment for bacteriophages’ life cycles. One should expect that bacteriophages adapt to this special “”environment”" and develop the means of interacting with it.