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[Bacteriophages in the battle against multidrug resistant bacteria]

J W M van der Meer1, C M J E Vandenbroucke-Grauls

  • 1Radboudumc, afd. Interne Geneeskunde, Nijmegen.

Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor Geneeskunde
|March 31, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Bacteriophages, viruses targeting specific bacteria, show potential for treating infections. However, limited clinical evidence and complex application methods necessitate further research, especially with rising antimicrobial resistance.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Virology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria with high specificity.
  • Lytic phages can destroy bacteria, offering potential for phage therapy against infections.
  • Phage therapy has a long history but lacks robust clinical efficacy data.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current state of phage therapy.
  • To highlight challenges in clinical application and research.
  • To emphasize the need for further investigation due to antimicrobial resistance.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on bacteriophage therapy.
  • Analysis of historical and current clinical evidence.
  • Discussion of practical challenges in phage selection, preparation, and administration.

Main Results:

  • Bacteriophages exhibit high specificity for bacterial targets.
  • Clinical efficacy data for phage therapy remains limited despite a century of use.
  • Reported side effects are generally mild.
  • Therapeutic application involves laborious selection, preparation, and administration processes.

Conclusions:

  • Phage therapy holds promise for treating bacterial infections, particularly in the context of antimicrobial resistance.
  • Significant research is required to establish definitive clinical benefits and optimize therapeutic protocols.
  • Overcoming practical challenges in phage application is crucial for advancing phage therapy.

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