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Role of bacteriophage therapy for resistant infections in transplant recipients

Paul Nicholls1, Saima Aslam2

  • 1Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.

Current Opinion in Organ Transplantation
|October 12, 2022
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Phage therapy shows promise for treating multidrug-resistant organism infections in transplant patients, with no reported safety concerns. Further randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm efficacy and guide clinical use.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Microbiology
  • Transplantation Medicine

Background:

  • Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) pose a significant threat to transplant recipients, leading to poor clinical outcomes.
  • Recalcitrant infections in this vulnerable population present a major therapeutic challenge.

Approach:

  • This review synthesizes recent case reports and small series on bacteriophage therapy for MDRO infections in pre- and post-transplant patients.
  • The safety and potential efficacy of phage therapy in this context were evaluated.

Key Points:

  • Individual case reports suggest bacteriophage therapy may be effective for treating MDRO infections in transplant recipients.
  • No serious safety concerns were identified in the reviewed cases of phage therapy.
  • Currently, there is a lack of randomized controlled trials to guide the use of phage therapy.

Conclusions:

  • Phage therapy is a potential salvage treatment for difficult-to-treat MDRO infections in transplant recipients, warranting compassionate use consideration.
  • Robust data from randomized controlled trials are essential to establish definitive evidence and inform clinical management strategies.

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