Phage Products for Fighting Antimicrobial Resistance

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Public Health
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant global health threat, with antibiotics becoming less effective against evolving bacteria.
• Bacteriophages (phages), viruses that infect bacteria, are gaining attention as a potential alternative to conventional antibiotics due to their specificity.
• The development of large-scale phage products highlights renewed interest in phage therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current phage products used to combat AMR across various sectors.
• To summarize the application of phage products in human, animal, plant, and food health, adopting a "one health" perspective.
• To discuss the advantages, disadvantages, and future outlook of phage therapy as an antibiotic alternative.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of existing phage products and their applications.
• Synthesis of information on phage therapy across different health domains (human, animal, plant, food).
• Analysis of the benefits and drawbacks of phage therapy and future research directions.

Main Results:

• Phage products are being developed and utilized in diverse applications to combat AMR.
• The "one health" approach reveals broad applicability of phages in agriculture, food safety, veterinary medicine, and human healthcare.
• Significant progress has been made in producing large-scale phage products.

Conclusions:

• Phage therapy presents a promising alternative to antibiotics for combating AMR.
• Further research and development are needed to optimize phage products and overcome challenges for widespread clinical adoption.
• The "one health" framework is crucial for maximizing the impact of phage therapy across interconnected health systems.