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Opportunities and challenges in phage therapy for cardiometabolic diseases
Koen Wortelboer1, Hilde Herrema1
1Department of Experimental Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, Endocrinology, Metabolism and Nutrition, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
The worldwide prevalence of cardiometabolic diseases (CMD) is increasing, and emerging evidence implicates the gut microbiota in this multifactorial disease development. Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that selectively target a bacterial host; thus, phage therapy offers a precise means of modulating the gut microbiota, limiting collateral damage on the ecosystem. Several studies demonstrate the potential of phages in human disease, including alcoholic and steatotic liver disease. In this opinion article we discuss the potential of phage therapy as a predefined medicinal product for CMD and discuss its current challenges, including the generation of effective phage combinations, product formulation, and strict manufacturing requirements.
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