{"title":"[Phage therapy in Germany-Update 2025].","authors":"Christian Willy, Felix Bröcker","doi":"10.1007/s00103-025-04063-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00103-025-04063-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Phage therapy is a promising approach to combat the antibiotic resistance crisis worldwide and in Germany. However, after widespread use in Germany from the 1930s to the 1960s, the number of patients treated with phages each year dropped to under a hundred in the following decades. An overview of the current situation of phage therapy in Germany and the translational research supporting it is provided. Aspects taken into account here are phage production, phage banks, clinical phage application, and ongoing translational research projects in Germany.There is a lack of phages for clinical use. Phage therapy is only used in a limited number of patients in a few clinics as an individual treatment attempt. There are several phage banks that, due to different institutional backgrounds and guidelines, do not work in a comparable way and only exchange phage stocks in the context of scientific projects. Projects in basic and translational phage research have increased considerably in Germany. The most urgent change seems to be the expansion of phage production capacities.There is still no high-quality evidence on the clinical success of phage therapy in the medical field by means of randomized controlled clinical trials. In close consultation with the regulatory authorities, it seems sensible to urgently enable a few centers to treat patients according to the Belgian model.</p>","PeriodicalId":9562,"journal":{"name":"Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz","volume":" ","pages":"617-624"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12129867/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143977380","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Strategies for mitigating antibiotic resistance in human medicine from the perspective of the Ministry of Health].","authors":"Alexandra Clarici","doi":"10.1007/s00103-025-04049-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00103-025-04049-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Antibiotic resistance (AMR) is increasing worldwide. The complex interrelationships in their development and spread require a bundle of measures and a cross-sectoral approach that considers the One Health approach. The German Antibiotic Resistance Strategy \"DART\" summarizes the measures for Germany. Building on two predecessor strategies, \"DART 2030,\" which was adopted in 2023, describes the strategic goals to be achieved during its term. It is supplemented by an action plan published in May 2024, which contains specific activities in the six fields of action: prevention, surveillance and monitoring, appropriate use of antibiotics including laboratory diagnostics, communication and cooperation, European and international cooperation, and research and development. Important actions in human medicine include ensuring the availability of recommendations/guidelines on infection prevention and on the diagnosis and treatment of infections, particularly those in which resistance plays a role. The development of expertise in infectiology will be supported and the surveillance of resistance and antibiotic consumption strengthened across all sectors. Proven exchange formats will be continued in order to improve communication within and between sectors. The population's knowledge about infections, their treatment, and the appropriate use of antibiotics will be strengthened.The action plan will be regularly reviewed and updated. This will be linked to reporting, which will also address progress in achieving specific targets for human medicine.</p>","PeriodicalId":9562,"journal":{"name":"Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz","volume":" ","pages":"593-599"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12129872/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143970639","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Empfehlungen zum Schutz vor Cyanobakterientoxinen im Trinkwasser : Empfehlung des Umweltbundesamtes nach Anhörung der Trinkwasserkommission.","authors":"","doi":"10.1007/s00103-025-04046-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00103-025-04046-0","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9562,"journal":{"name":"Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz","volume":"68 6","pages":"682-694"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144198307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Phage endolysins-a novel class of antibacterial agents with a wide range of applications].","authors":"Evgeny A Idelevich, Karsten Becker","doi":"10.1007/s00103-025-04059-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00103-025-04059-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As \"enzybiotics,\" endolysins represent a new class of antibacterial agents that are naturally produced at the end of the lytic cycle in bacteriophage-infected bacterial cells to enable the phage particles formed to be released from the inside of the host cell. Their enzymatic effect on the cell wall peptidoglycan, which leads to lysis of the infected bacteria, can also be exerted externally as an applied agent. While the endolysin activity can be directly effective in Gram-positive bacteria, the endolysin must be modified for activity against Gram-negative bacteria so that it can overcome the outer cell membrane. For this reason, and to optimize endolysin specificity and stability, endolysins are increasingly being genetically modified and produced recombinantly, which is relatively easy to achieve due to their modular structure consisting of lytic and binding domains. Endolysins have already found increasing actual or extensively postulated use for preventive, therapeutic, and diagnostic purposes in human and veterinary medicine as well as in food safety, biotechnology, and the One Health sector; however, this still needs to be better substantiated by valid studies. Although, in contrast to phage therapy, the regulatory aspects can follow the approval procedures also required for other pharmaceuticals, only less than a dozen randomized controlled studies of phases 1 to 3 have been initiated or completed in the field of human medicine. Only very few endolysin formulations approved as medical products are currently available on the market and approval as medicinal drugs is being sought for some endolysins.</p>","PeriodicalId":9562,"journal":{"name":"Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz","volume":" ","pages":"660-669"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12130063/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143959654","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Anne Kaman, Michael Erhart, Janine Devine, Ann-Kathrin Napp, Franziska Reiß, Steven Behn, Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer
{"title":"[Mental health of children and adolescents in times of global crises: findings from the longitudinal COPSY study from 2020 to 2024].","authors":"Anne Kaman, Michael Erhart, Janine Devine, Ann-Kathrin Napp, Franziska Reiß, Steven Behn, Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer","doi":"10.1007/s00103-025-04045-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00103-025-04045-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The mental health of children and adolescents is increasingly affected by global crises, but so far there are only limited longitudinal studies on this topic. This longitudinal, population-based study aimed to explore changes in mental health during global crises.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study analyzed data from 2865 families with children and adolescents aged 7 to 22 years who participated in at least one wave of the COPSY (COvid-19 and PSYchological health) study from May 2020 (T1) to October 2024 (T7). On average, the families took part in 56.7% of the survey waves. Descriptive statistics and multivariate regression analyses were used to examine changes in mental health as well as the effects of crisis-related worries and digital media use.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mental health of children and adolescents was significantly impaired at the beginning of the pandemic, improved again in the following years, but remained at an impaired level in fall 2024 compared to pre-pandemic levels. At the same time, concerns about wars, economic crises, and the climate crisis have increased significantly. Risk factors such as low parental education and parental mental health problems were associated with poorer mental health, while personal, familial, and social resources had a protective effect. A high level of media consumption was documented, which was associated with stressful experiences.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Global crises pose significant challenges to the mental health of children and adolescents. Resource-oriented prevention and intervention efforts are urgently needed to support young people in coping with these challenges.</p>","PeriodicalId":9562,"journal":{"name":"Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz","volume":" ","pages":"670-680"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12129870/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143972762","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Application of phages in farm animals, food and the environment as part of a One Health approach-potentials and challenges].","authors":"Sophie Kittler, Jens A Hammerl","doi":"10.1007/s00103-025-04055-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00103-025-04055-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In order to ensure the holistic protection of human, animal and environmental health (commonly referred to as One Health), alternatives to the available antimicrobial approaches are required. Although antibiotic drugs have an outstanding broad spectrum of activity, their use is under discussion due to increasingly occurring resistances. Furthermore, the utilisation of antibiotics can result in significant consequences for the affected microbiome, often irreversibly altering its natural composition. The necessity for the implementation of alternative and targeted control measures for bacterial pathogens (e.g. zoonoses) represents a significant challenge for all sectors within the One Health framework. With growing interest, control strategies, some of which have been neglected for centuries, are under discussion for use as valuable tool for safeguarding health across all sectors.Bacteriophages (phages) represent a naturally occurring biological resource with promising potential for use in targeted biocontrol of specific bacteria. As bacterial viruses, they interact specifically with their bacterial hosts, invading them to utilize the bacterial metabolism for their replication, finally destroying the infected bacterial cell. The benefits of this natural predator-prey relationship for the control of bacterial pathogens have long been recognized and extensively studied. This review summarises selected studies on the use of phages, illustrating the potential and application possibilities, but also the challenges of phage use. Due to their cross-sectoral relevance, the use of phages in farm animals, food and the environment is presented as an example.</p>","PeriodicalId":9562,"journal":{"name":"Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz","volume":" ","pages":"625-630"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12130145/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144109961","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Carlos Alberto Dos Santos Treichel, Maria Giovana Borges Saidel, Ana Laura Salomé Lourencetti, Maria Fernanda Lirani Dos Reis, Angela Pereira Figueiredo, Bianca Brandão da Silva, Rosana Teresa Onocko Campos
{"title":"Leveraging research steering committees for stakeholder engagement: a multifaceted strategy in Brazilian implementation projects.","authors":"Carlos Alberto Dos Santos Treichel, Maria Giovana Borges Saidel, Ana Laura Salomé Lourencetti, Maria Fernanda Lirani Dos Reis, Angela Pereira Figueiredo, Bianca Brandão da Silva, Rosana Teresa Onocko Campos","doi":"10.1007/s00103-025-04081-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00103-025-04081-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Research steering committees (RSCs) are increasingly recognized as a strategy for stakeholder engagement. Drawing on the experiences of participants from three RSCs involved in health care implementation projects in Brazil, this study aims to examine the contributions of RSCs to implementation research based on their impact on implementation outcomes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This descriptive, exploratory, qualitative study was conducted between August and December 2024. Shared appreciation groups with eight researchers facilitated consensus on RSC operationalization. Additionally, semistructured interviews with 12 RSC members from three research projects explored the contributions to stakeholder engagement and implementation outcomes. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Thirteen discrete implementation strategies were identified within four categories: use evaluative and iterative strategies, adapt and tailor to context, develop stakeholder interrelationships, and train and educate stakeholders. The RSCs influenced six implementation outcomes: acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, feasibility, penetration, and sustainability. Appropriateness and feasibility emerged as the most prominent outcomes.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Research steering committees constitute a multifaceted implementation strategy that fosters structured stakeholder engagement. By integrating multiple implementation strategies, they enhance collaboration, contextual adaptation, and shared governance. Their impact on appropriateness and feasibility highlights their relevance as a support mechanism for implementation success and sustainability.</p>","PeriodicalId":9562,"journal":{"name":"Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144191559","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Enhancing noncommunicable public health programs: A system dynamics approach to understanding reach, maintenance, and implementation costs.","authors":"Simon Keith Chiu, Alix Hall, Louise Freebairn","doi":"10.1007/s00103-025-04069-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00103-025-04069-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) cause an estimated 41 million deaths globally each year, with cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes being the leading contributors. Modifiable risk factors elevate the risk of NCDs. Despite the availability of effective prevention programs, their consistent implementation remains limited, highlighting the need for strategies to improve delivery and reduce costs. The reach, efficacy, adoption, implementation, and maintenance (RE-AIM) framework and system modelling can help in understanding and improvement of the implementation and maintenance of public health initiatives.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This research used a system dynamics model to explore hypothetical pathways between reach, maintenance, and the cost-related components of implementation within the RE-AIM framework. Scenarios explored the influence of strategies for enhancing reach and maintenance and the resulting impact on participation and cost.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Scenarios that considered alternative pathways to engagement (i.e. enhanced reach strategies) and re-engagement led to higher participation rates by utilising alternative pathways and reducing dependence on initial reach. However, this increased overall program costs due to the population cycling between engagement and disengagement.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This modelling study highlights the complex non-linear relationships that affect the implementation of public health prevention, emphasising the need for support strategies to maintain engagement. The study shows that while alternative pathways to reach can improve participation, disengagement remains a significant challenge, impacting overall costs. Sustainment strategies that are both effective and cost-efficient are crucial for maintaining engagement and enhancing the effectiveness of public health programs.</p>","PeriodicalId":9562,"journal":{"name":"Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144186569","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Richtlinie der Gendiagnostik-Kommission (GEKO) für die Anforderungen an die Durchführung genetischer Analysen zur Klärung der Abstammung und an die Qualifikation von ärztlichen und nichtärztlichen Sachverständigen gemäß § 23 Abs. 2 Nr. 4 und Nr. 2b GenDG : revidierte Fassung vom 11.04.2025, veröffentlicht und in Kraft getreten am 28.04.2025, ersetzt die Fassung vom 17.07.2012.","authors":"","doi":"10.1007/s00103-025-04071-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00103-025-04071-z","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9562,"journal":{"name":"Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144157062","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Richtlinie der Gendiagnostik-Kommission (GEKO) für die Anforderungen an die Inhalte der Aufklärung gemäß § 23 Abs. 2 Nr. 3 GenDG bei genetischen Untersuchungen zur Klärung der Abstammung : revidierte Fassung vom 11.04.2025, veröffentlicht und in Kraft getreten am 28.04.2025, ersetzt die Fassung vom 01.07.2011.","authors":"","doi":"10.1007/s00103-025-04070-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00103-025-04070-0","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9562,"journal":{"name":"Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144157066","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}