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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 9, 2025

Phage Phenomics: Physiological Approaches to Characterize Novel Viral Proteins

Phage Phenomics: Physiological Approaches to Characterize Novel Viral Proteins

Published on: June 11, 2015

Mycobacteriophages and Their Applications.

Andrea Bonacorsi¹, Caterina Ferretti², Mariagrazia Di Luca¹

¹Department of Biology, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy.

Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)

|October 25, 2024

Summary

Mycobacteriophages show promise for treating drug-resistant mycobacterial infections. Combining phages with antibiotics enhances efficacy, offering a new therapeutic avenue for challenging infections.

Keywords:

Mycobacterium abscessus Mycobacterium avium Mycobacterium smegmatis Mycobacterium tuberculosis antibiotic resistance bacteriophages lung infections mycobacteria mycobacteriophages phage therapy

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Last Updated: Jun 9, 2025

Phage Phenomics: Physiological Approaches to Characterize Novel Viral Proteins

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Published on: June 11, 2015

Understanding the Impact of Temperate Bacteriophages on Their Lysogens Through Transcriptomics

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Author Spotlight: Investigating Bacteriophage-Induced Immune Responses in Gnotobiotic Mice

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Published on: January 26, 2024

Area of Science:

Microbiology
Virology
Infectious Diseases

Background:

Mycobacterial infections present significant treatment challenges, particularly in immunocompromised individuals.
Conventional antibiotic therapies are often ineffective due to rising bacterial resistance.
Alternative strategies are crucial for managing these infections.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the isolation, characterization, and clinical applications of mycobacteriophages.
To assess the efficacy of mycobacteriophages against sensitive and resistant mycobacterial strains.
To explore combination therapies and novel delivery methods for phage treatment.

Main Methods:

Comprehensive literature review of mycobacteriophage research.
Analysis of in vitro and in vivo studies on phage efficacy.
Evaluation of phage engineering, delivery systems, and combination therapies.

Main Results:

Mycobacteriophages demonstrate efficacy against both antibiotic-sensitive and resistant mycobacteria.
Phage cocktails are effective and minimize resistance development.
Engineered phages and combination therapy with antibiotics show enhanced therapeutic potential.
Phage delivery via bacterial or liposomal vectors facilitates cellular entry.

Conclusions:

Mycobacteriophages represent a promising alternative for treating antibiotic-resistant mycobacterial infections.
Combination therapy with antibiotics can potentiate phage efficacy.
Further in vitro and in vivo studies are needed to fully establish phage therapy's role.