Hungarian Researchers Join European Effort to Fight UTIs with Viruses

Researchers at HUN-REN Biological Research Center in Szeged, Hungary are participating in REPhRAME, a European project investigating phage therapy and gut microbiome restoration to treat recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs). More than 400 million people globally experience UTIs annually, with many facing repeated infections despite antibiotic use.

Rising antibiotic resistance makes these cases increasingly difficult to treat, prompting exploration of alternative therapies. REPhRAME will evaluate a two-step treatment.

First, patients receive bacteriophages, viruses that kill specific bacteria, to eliminate the E. coli causing the UTI. Second, they undergo microbiome restoration therapy to rebuild healthy gut bacteria, preventing future infections.

The project acknowledges that E. coli can survive antibiotics by residing in the gut, then recolonizing the urinary tract. The HUN-REN team focuses on computationally predicting which bacteriophages will be most effective against specific bacterial strains. The five-year program, beginning in June 2026, aims to reduce antibiotic use and infection rates if clinical trials prove successful.