Engineered phages in anti-infection and anti-tumor fields: A review

The abuse of antibiotics has led to the widespread emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria. Phage therapy holds promise for enhancing anti-bacterial and anti-infection strategies. Traditional phage therapy employs phage preparations as an alternative to antibiotics for the eradication of bacteria, aiming to achieve the desired clinical outcomes. Modification of phage by transgene or chemical modification overcomes the limitations of traditional phage therapy, including host spectrum modification, bacterial resistance reversal, antigen presentation, and drug targeted delivery, and thus broadens the application field of phages. This article summarizes the progress of engineered phages in the fields of anti-bacterial, anti-infective and anti-tumor therapy. It emphasizes the advantages of engineered phages in anti-bacterial and anti-tumor treatment, and discusses the widespread potential of phage-based modular design as multifunctional biopharmaceuticals, drug carriers, and other applications.