Bacteriophages as an alternative strategy for the treatment of drug resistant bacterial infections: Current approaches and future perspectives

Abstract

A persistent increase in antimicrobial resistance presents a significant danger to global public health. The application of bactericidal phages that do not interfere with the body's natural flora becomes a promising approach to alternative treatments. This section offers an in-depth examination of the use of bacteriophage therapy in both laboratory and human trials for the treatment of specific bacterial infections. The benefits and hurdles of increasing the use of bacteriophages as a supplemental or alternative treatment for bacterial infections resistant to antibiotics are examined. The use of highly adaptable bacteriophage populations, combined with antibiotic chemical compounds, as molecular tools to combat rapidly evolving pathogenic bacteria in the host environment, presents significant virologic complexities. Pre-clinical studies, isolated clinical reports and a few randomized clinical trials have demonstrated that bacteriophages can be effective for treating bacterial infections that are resistant to multiple drugs. The capability of certain bacteriophages to reverse antibiotic resistance, as well as resistance to human complement and other bacteriophages seems to be a significant benefit of bacteriophage therapy, despite the predictable appearance of bacteriophage-resistant strains. Bacteriophages or specific products derived from them can improve antimicrobial effectiveness by decreasing bacteria's harmful properties through changes to fundamental bacterial structures, mainly their cell walls and membranes. Despite several ongoing issues regarding their practical use, it seems that bacteriophage-based treatments combined with antibiotics can serve as an effective solution to addressing the spread of antimicrobial resistance.