Enzybiotics: a look to the future, recalling the past

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Biotechnology
• Enzymology

Background:

• Antibiotics revolutionized 20th-century medicine, controlling microbial diseases.
• The emergence of antibiotic resistance necessitates novel therapeutic strategies.
• Enzymes capable of degrading microorganisms have historical precedent but were overshadowed by antibiotics.

Observation:

• The term 'enzybiotic' combines 'enzyme' and 'antibiotic'.
• Enzybiotics primarily refer to bacteriophages—viruses that infect and lyse bacteria.
• The historical use of enzymes against microbes was largely abandoned with the advent of antibiotics.

Findings:

• Enzybiotics represent a potential new class of antimicrobial agents.
• Bacteriophages are a key example of enzybiotics, offering targeted bacterial lysis.
• The concept can be expanded beyond bacterial targets.

Implications:

• Enzybiotics offer a promising alternative or adjunct to traditional antibiotics.
• Expanding enzybiotics to include antifungal enzymes broadens their therapeutic scope.
• This approach holds significant potential for combating infectious diseases in the future.