Naturally-occurring and cultured bacteriophages in human therapy

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Virology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health concern, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies.
• Bacteriophages present a specific, non-antibiotic alternative for combating bacterial infections.
• Phage therapy offers advantages such as specificity and minimal impact on beneficial gut microbiota.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the significance of developing techniques for utilizing bacteriophages.
• To explore the potential of bacteriophages as therapeutic agents.
• To investigate the application of bacteriophages as food supplements.

Main Methods:

• Literature search of the PubMed database.
• Keywords used included 'bacteriophage' and 'human therapy', and 'natural bacteriophage' and 'application'.

Main Results:

• Phage therapy is a viable alternative to antibiotics, targeting specific pathogens without harming the human microbiota.
• Bacteriophages can be administered via topical, oral, or intravenous routes.
• Combining phage therapy with antibiotics can enhance treatment efficacy for bacterial infections, with clinical trials showing promising results.

Conclusions:

• Phage therapy is poised to become a key therapeutic strategy for bacterial infections.
• Bacteriophage-containing supplements could be developed to modulate gut microbiota and combat pathogens.
• The Caudovirales order, particularly Siphoviridae and Myoviridae families, shows significant potential for these applications.