Esfandiari Amir Hossein, Mobarezi Zahra, Abolbashari Samaneh, Meshkat Zahra
Department of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Basic Science Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
BMC Infect Dis. 2025 Jul 1;25(1):819. doi: 10.1186/s12879-025-11258-x.
BACKGROUND: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a severe complication of diabetes, often leading to infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, which complicate treatment and increase amputation risks. Bacteriophage (phage) therapy, targeting specific bacterial pathogens, has re-emerged as a promising alternative to antibiotics. This systematic review evaluates the efficacy of phage therapy for DFUs. METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase up to October 29, 2024, using keywords such as "phage therapy," "diabetic foot ulcers," and "bacteriophages." Included were original English-language studies investigating phage therapy for DFUs, while reviews and non-English articles were excluded. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed independently by two reviewers. RESULTS: Twenty-one studies demonstrated phage therapy's effectiveness against key DFU pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Phage cocktails showed superior efficacy in preventing bacterial regrowth and overcoming resistance compared to single phages. Synergistic effects with antibiotics (e.g., ciprofloxacin) were observed, enhancing biofilm penetration and bacterial eradication. Case studies reported high tolerability and clinical resolution, even in antibiotic-resistant infections. However, evidence remains limited to small-scale studies. CONCLUSION: Phage therapy is a viable, safe option for MDR DFU infections, particularly due to its biofilm-disrupting properties and synergy with antibiotics. The lack of large randomized controlled trials (RCTs) underscores the need for standardized protocols, broader phage cocktails for polymicrobial infections, and optimized delivery methods. Future research should prioritize RCTs to establish efficacy, safety, and regulatory pathways for clinical adoption.
背景:糖尿病足溃疡(DFUs)是糖尿病的一种严重并发症,常导致由多重耐药(MDR)细菌引起的感染,这使治疗变得复杂并增加了截肢风险。针对特定细菌病原体的噬菌体疗法已重新成为一种有前景的抗生素替代方案。本系统评价评估了噬菌体疗法对糖尿病足溃疡的疗效。 方法:截至2024年10月29日,在PubMed、Scopus、科学网和Embase中进行了全面检索,使用了“噬菌体疗法”“糖尿病足溃疡”和“噬菌体”等关键词。纳入的是调查噬菌体疗法治疗糖尿病足溃疡的英文原创研究,而综述和非英文文章被排除。由两名审阅者独立进行数据提取和质量评估。 结果:21项研究证明了噬菌体疗法对糖尿病足溃疡关键病原体的有效性,这些病原体包括金黄色葡萄球菌、铜绿假单胞菌、粪肠球菌和肺炎克雷伯菌。与单一噬菌体相比,噬菌体鸡尾酒在预防细菌再生长和克服耐药性方面显示出更高的疗效。观察到与抗生素(如环丙沙星)的协同作用,增强了生物膜穿透和细菌清除。病例研究报告了即使在耐抗生素感染中也具有高耐受性和临床治愈情况。然而,证据仍然限于小规模研究。 结论:噬菌体疗法是治疗多重耐药糖尿病足溃疡感染的一种可行、安全的选择,特别是由于其生物膜破坏特性以及与抗生素的协同作用。缺乏大型随机对照试验(RCT)突出了对标准化方案、用于多微生物感染的更广泛噬菌体鸡尾酒以及优化给药方法的需求。未来的研究应优先进行随机对照试验,以确立临床应用的疗效、安全性和监管途径。
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