Mathematical model devised to protect bacteriophages without hindering their action
A study by researchers in the UAB Department of Mathematics and the Center for Mathematical Research (CRM) presents a model describing the behavior of encapsulated bacteriophages within the gastrointestinal tract. Its objective is to better understand the advantages and limitations of encapsulation and determine under what conditions this strategy can contribute to improving treatment efficacy.
Bacteriophages, viruses capable of infecting and destroying bacteria, are considered one of the most promising alternatives to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance. In the face of rising antimicrobial resistance, these viruses have become one of the most promising therapeutic alternatives to conventional antibiotics. However, for these treatments to be effective, bacteriophages must overcome several obstacles before reaching the site of infection. When administered orally, for example, they must pass through hostile environments such as the stomach, where a portion of the viruses can be degraded before reaching their destination.
To protect them during this journey, various research groups have developed encapsulation systems based on microcapsules. These structures protect the bacteriophages as they pass through the digestive system but introduce a new challenge: While the viruses remain inside the capsule, they cannot infect bacteria. Understanding the balance between protection and release is key to optimizing these types of therapies.
A study by Sílvia Cuadrado, lecturer in the Department of Mathematics at the UAB and affiliated researcher at the CRM, together with researchers from the Department of Mathematics at the UAB, Carles Barril and Xavier Bardina, presents a model that describes the behavior of encapsulated bacteriophages within the gastrointestinal tract. Its aim is to better understand the advantages and limitations of encapsulation and determine under what conditions this strategy can contribute to improving treatment effectiveness. The research is published in the journal Mathematical Methods in the Applied Sciences.
The proposed mathematical framework makes it possible to track the path of the bacteriophages from the moment of their administration until they reach the site of infection. This allows for analysis of how they are progressively released from the capsules, how they move through the digestive system and how they subsequently interact with bacteria.
As researcher Sílvia Cuadrado explains, "Our model describes the dynamics of encapsulated bacteriophages in the gastrointestinal tract and addresses the central question of finding the balance between the protection and release of the bacteriophages to maximize therapeutic efficacy."
One of the study's key contributions is the explicit incorporation of the encapsulation process into a mathematical model of bacteriophage therapy—an aspect that had previously received little attention in the scientific literature. Furthermore, the model distinguishes between the administered dose and the effective dose—that is, the actual quantity of bacteriophages that becomes available to combat the infection.
In this way, mathematics helps answer questions that are difficult to address experimentally: How many bacteriophages actually reach their destination? What characteristics should the microcapsules have? How frequently should they be administered to maximize therapeutic effectiveness?
Rather than providing a specific clinical prescription, the model developed by the researchers offers a tool to virtually explore different encapsulation and administration strategies before carrying out complex experimental trials. This approach could help design more effective phage therapies tailored to different types of infections in the future.
However, the authors point out that the model's predictions will need to be validated experimentally. Future lines of research include the study of new bacteriophage release mechanisms, the incorporation of stochastic effects to more realistically describe small viral populations and the extension of the model to systems composed of multiple biological compartments.
Overall, the work demonstrates how mathematics can contribute to the development of new therapeutic strategies, helping to optimize bacteriophage-based treatments before their experimental validation.
More information
Carles Barril et al, Dynamics of Encapsulated Bacteriophage in the Gastrointestinal Tract, Mathematical Methods in the Applied Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.1002/mma.70342
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Citation: Mathematical model devised to protect bacteriophages without hindering their action (2026, July 31) retrieved 31 July 2026 from https://phys.org/news/2026-07-mathematical-bacteriophages-hindering-action.html
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