Alexakis Konstantinos, Baliou Stella, Ioannou Petros
German Medical Institute, Limassol 4102, Cyprus.
School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece.
Infect Dis Rep. 2024 Jul 25;16(4):684-698. doi: 10.3390/idr16040052.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an increasing problem worldwide, with significant associated morbidity and mortality. Given the slow production of new antimicrobials, non-antimicrobial methods for treating infections with significant AMR are required. This review examines the potential of predatory bacteria to combat infectious diseases, particularly those caused by pathogens with AMR. Predatory bacteria already have well-known applications beyond medicine, such as in the food industry, biocontrol, and wastewater treatment. Regarding their potential for use in treating infections, several in vitro studies have shown their potential in eliminating various pathogens, including those resistant to multiple antibiotics, and they also suggest minimal immune stimulation and cytotoxicity by predatory bacteria. In vivo animal studies have demonstrated safety and efficacy in reducing bacterial burden in various infection models. However, results can be inconsistent, suggesting dependence on factors like the animal model and the infecting bacteria. Until now, no clinical study in humans exists, but as experience with predatory bacteria grows, future studies including clinical studies in humans could be designed to evaluate their efficacy and safety in humans, thus leading to the potential for approval of a novel method for treating infectious diseases by bacteria.
抗菌药物耐药性（AMR）在全球范围内是一个日益严重的问题，伴随着显著的相关发病率和死亡率。鉴于新型抗菌药物的研发进展缓慢，需要采用非抗菌方法来治疗具有显著AMR的感染。本综述探讨了捕食性细菌对抗传染病的潜力，特别是那些由具有AMR的病原体引起的疾病。捕食性细菌在医学之外已经有了众所周知的应用，例如在食品工业、生物防治和废水处理中。关于它们在治疗感染方面的应用潜力，多项体外研究表明它们在消除各种病原体方面具有潜力，包括那些对多种抗生素耐药的病原体，并且这些研究还表明捕食性细菌对免疫刺激和细胞毒性极小。体内动物研究已经证明了其在各种感染模型中减轻细菌负荷的安全性和有效性。然而，结果可能不一致，这表明其效果依赖于动物模型和感染细菌等因素。到目前为止，尚未有针对人类的临床研究，但随着对捕食性细菌的经验积累，未来包括针对人类的临床研究在内的研究可以设计用于评估它们在人类中的疗效和安全性，从而有可能批准一种通过细菌治疗传染病的新方法。
