Research with a product containing living (micro-)organisms or viruses directly aimed at combating disease-causing factors

This concerns medical research with products such as bacteriophages and living (micro-)organisms that (possibly after growth or transformation) directly target disease-causing factors such as pathogenic viruses, bacteria and unicellular organisms, but also tumour cells. Examples of this type of (genetically modified) therapeutic micro-organisms are clostridium spores or attenuated salmonella strains targeting tumour cells.

Products containing micro-organisms whose primary objective is strengthening the body's own healing process or immune system, or to reduce disease-causing factors are not included, such as live vaccines, maggots in necrotic wound infections or leeches in circulatory disorders. Although these products do contain micro-organisms, they are aimed at combating a pathogen indirectly rather than directly. A faeces transplant does not fall into this category either because it does not directly combat the pathogen itself, but rather restores the balance in the intestinal flora. The same applies to research using probiotics to restore the intestinal flora.