Bacteriophage Therapy to Combat Microbial Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance

Area of Science:

• Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
• Biotechnology and Therapeutic Strategies

Background:

• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global health crisis, particularly exacerbated in low-resource settings due to uncontrolled antibiotic use.
• Key mechanisms driving AMR include plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), target gene mutations, efflux pump overexpression, and porin underexpression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the potential of bacteriophage-based therapy as a multifaceted strategy against AMR and bacterial biofilm formation.
• To explore the diverse applications of phages in clinical, agricultural, and environmental contexts for controlling resistant bacteria.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on bacteriophage therapy mechanisms and applications.
• Analysis of how phages target drug-resistant bacteria, including lysis, inhibition of plasmid conjugation, and use of phage-derived enzymes.
• Examination of phage utility in healthcare decontamination, food safety, and environmental microbial control.

Main Results:

• Bacteriophages can effectively lyse drug-resistant bacteria and disrupt biofilm formation.
• Phages can target AMR plasmid transfer systems and utilize phage-derived lytic proteins for bacterial control.
• Phage applications extend to surface decontamination, food preservation, and environmental management of bacterial populations.

Conclusions:

• Bacteriophage therapy presents a versatile and effective approach to combatting antimicrobial resistance and associated infections.
• Phage-based strategies offer a dual benefit of preventing infectious disease spread and managing AMR, serving as a valuable tool in public health.