Ghaznavi Ghazal, Vosough Parisa, Ghasemian Abdolmajid, Tabar Mohammad Mahdi Mokhtari, Tayebi Lobat, Taghizadeh Saeed, Savardashtaki Amir
Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Mol Biol Rep. 2025 Feb 11;52(1):221. doi: 10.1007/s11033-025-10332-6.
The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, termed "superbugs," presents a formidable challenge to global health. These pathogens, often responsible for persistent nosocomial infections, threaten the effectiveness of conventional antibiotic therapies. This review delves into the potential of bacteriophages, viruses specifically targeting bacteria, as a powerful tool to combat superbugs. We examined the latest developments in genetic engineering that improve the efficacy of bacteriophages, focusing on modifications in host range, lysis mechanisms, and their ability to overcome bacterial defense systems. This review article highlights the CRISPR-Cas system as a promising method for precisely manipulating phage genomes, enabling the development of novel phage therapies with enhanced efficacy and specificity. Furthermore, we discussed developing novel phage-based strategies, such as phage cocktails and phage-antibiotic combinations. We also analyzed the challenges and ethical considerations associated with phage engineering, emphasizing the need for responsible and rigorous research to ensure this technology's safe and effective deployment to combat the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.
被称为“超级细菌”的抗生素耐药性细菌的出现，对全球健康构成了巨大挑战。这些病原体通常是持续性医院感染的罪魁祸首，威胁着传统抗生素疗法的有效性。本综述深入探讨了噬菌体（专门针对细菌的病毒）作为对抗超级细菌的有力工具的潜力。我们研究了基因工程的最新进展，这些进展提高了噬菌体的功效，重点关注宿主范围、裂解机制的改变以及它们克服细菌防御系统的能力。这篇综述文章强调了CRISPR-Cas系统作为精确操纵噬菌体基因组的一种有前景的方法，能够开发出具有更高功效和特异性的新型噬菌体疗法。此外，我们还讨论了开发基于噬菌体的新策略，如噬菌体鸡尾酒疗法和噬菌体-抗生素联合疗法。我们还分析了与噬菌体工程相关的挑战和伦理考量，强调需要进行负责任且严谨的研究，以确保该技术能够安全有效地用于应对日益严重的抗生素耐药性威胁。
