Department of Allied and Public Health, School of Health, Sport and Bioscience, University of East London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Research and Innovation, Medway NHS Foundation Trust, Gillingham, ME7 5NY, United Kingdom; Department of Public Health, York St John University, London, United Kingdom.
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, USA.
Microb Pathog. 2024 Dec;197:107088. doi: 10.1016/j.micpath.2024.107088. Epub 2024 Oct 29.
The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections has become a significant global health threat, necessitating the need for alternative therapeutic strategies. The use of bacteriophages-viruses that particularly infect and lyse bacteria-in phage therapy has resurfaced as a potentially effective substitute for conventional antibiotics. This narrative review aims to explore the mechanisms, applications, challenges, and prospects of phage therapy in combating antibiotic-resistant infections. A thorough analysis of the literature was carried out by exploring online databases, such as Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The search focused on peer-reviewed articles, clinical trials, and authoritative reports published in the last 10 years. The review synthesized findings from studies on phage mechanisms, therapeutic applications, regulatory challenges, and advances in phage engineering. Phage therapy demonstrates several advantages over antibiotics, including high specificity for target bacteria, the ability to penetrate biofilms, and a lower propensity for resistance development. However, significant challenges remain, such as regulatory and production hurdles, the potential for phage resistance, and interactions with the host immune system. Advances in genetic engineering have enhanced the therapeutic potential of phages, and personalized phage therapy is emerging as a viable approach for tailored treatments. Phage therapy holds significant promise as an alternative to antibiotics, particularly in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. While challenges persist, ongoing research, technological advancements, and collaborative efforts are crucial for integrating phage therapy into mainstream clinical practice, potentially revolutionizing the treatment of bacterial infections and addressing the global antibiotic resistance crisis.
抗生素耐药细菌感染的兴起已成为全球重大健康威胁，因此需要替代的治疗策略。噬菌体治疗是一种利用专门感染和裂解细菌的病毒（噬菌体）的方法，作为传统抗生素的潜在有效替代品，重新受到关注。本综述旨在探讨噬菌体治疗在对抗抗生素耐药感染方面的机制、应用、挑战和前景。通过在线数据库（如 Google Scholar、PubMed、Scopus 和 Web of Science）检索文献，对噬菌体治疗进行了全面分析。搜索重点是过去 10 年发表的同行评议文章、临床试验和权威报告。该综述综合了噬菌体机制、治疗应用、监管挑战和噬菌体工程进展方面的研究结果。噬菌体治疗相对于抗生素具有多个优势，包括对靶细菌的高度特异性、穿透生物膜的能力以及较低的耐药发展倾向。然而，仍存在重大挑战，如监管和生产障碍、噬菌体耐药的可能性以及与宿主免疫系统的相互作用。基因工程的进步增强了噬菌体的治疗潜力，个性化噬菌体治疗作为一种量身定制治疗的方法正在出现。噬菌体治疗作为抗生素的替代品具有重要意义，特别是在对抗抗生素耐药细菌方面。尽管仍存在挑战，但持续的研究、技术进步和合作努力对于将噬菌体治疗纳入主流临床实践至关重要，这可能会彻底改变细菌感染的治疗方法，并解决全球抗生素耐药危机。
