Potential Usefulness of Bacteriophages for the Treatment of Multidrug-Resistant Infection.

Bacteriophages were discovered in early 20th century. However, the interest in bacteriophage research was reduced with the discovery of antibiotics. With the increasing number of infections due to multidrug-resistant (MDR) organisms, the potential usefulness of bacteriophages as therapeutic agents has been re-evaluated. In this review, we found that more than 30 lytic bacteriophages that infect species have been characterised. These are mainly members of Caudovirales, with genome sizes ranging from 31 kb to 234 kb and G+C contents ranging from 33.5% to 45.5%. The host range can be as low as < 10% of all tested strains. Fourteen published murine trials indicated positive outcomes in bacteriophage-treated groups. Only two case reports were pertaining to the use of bacteriophages in the treatment of infections in humans; in both cases, the infections were resolved with bacteriophage therapy. The use of bacteriophages has been associated with reduced burden in the environment, as shown in two studies. The major limitation of bacteriophage therapy is its highly selective host strain. In conclusion, the potential usefulness of bacteriophage therapy for the treatment of MDR species has been documented only in limited studies and more research is needed prior to its extensive use in clinical practice.