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Updated: Nov 8, 2025
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Bacteriophage Effectiveness for Biocontrol of Foodborne Pathogens Evaluated via High-Throughput Settings
Published on: August 19, 2021
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Engineered Bacteriophage Therapeutics: Rationale, Challenges and Future
Małgorzata Łobocka1, Krystyna Dąbrowska2, Andrzej Górski3
1Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
Summary
Bacteriophages (phages) offer a promising alternative to antibiotics for combating resistant bacterial infections. Genetic engineering of phages accelerates the development of novel therapies with enhanced efficacy and safety for diverse applications.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Biotechnology
- Genetics
Background:
- Rising bacterial resistance to antibiotics necessitates novel therapeutic strategies.
- Bacteriophages (phages) show potential as alternatives or adjuncts to antibiotics due to their ability to target bacteria, including resistant strains.
- Phage therapy offers specificity, sparing beneficial microbiota, but challenges exist in phage collection, characterization, and resistance development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current methods and applications of phage genetic engineering for therapeutic purposes.
- To highlight the advantages and disadvantages of various phage engineering techniques.
- To explore novel applications of engineered phages beyond direct bacterial killing.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on phage genetic engineering techniques.
- Analysis of case studies and examples of engineered phages used in therapy.
- Discussion of methods for modifying phage host range, safety, and antibacterial activity.
Main Results:
- Phage genetic engineering enables rapid acquisition of phages with desired therapeutic properties.
- Engineered phages have demonstrated efficacy in treating antibiotic-resistant infections, including a notable case of Mycobacterium abscessus.
- Modified phages show potential for improved safety, enhanced antibacterial activity, and novel applications like microbiota modulation.
Conclusions:
- Targeted genome modification of phages presents a viable strategy to overcome limitations of naturally occurring phages.
- Engineered phages hold significant promise for treating bacterial diseases and modulating human microbiota for various health conditions.
- Further research into phage engineering is crucial for developing next-generation antibacterial therapies.
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