Phage Encapsulation and Delivery Technology: A Strategy for Treating Drug-Resistant Pathogenic Microorganisms

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Biotechnology
• Public Health

Background:

• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a critical global health threat, leading to treatment failures and high mortality.
• Traditional antibiotics are losing efficacy against rapidly spreading drug-resistant bacteria.
• Bacteriophage (phage) therapy is emerging as a novel antimicrobial strategy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review phage therapeutic studies for key pathogens including Salmonella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Listeria monocytogenes.
• To summarize recent advances in phage research and development.
• To detail the application of encapsulated phage technologies for improved delivery and efficacy.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on phage therapy and encapsulation technologies.
• Analysis of studies focusing on specific bacterial pathogens and their phage treatments.
• Examination of advanced encapsulation methods like electrospun fibers, liposomes, and nanoparticles.

Main Results:

• Phage therapy, especially with cocktails and engineered phages, shows enhanced broad-spectrum activity and efficiency against pathogenic bacteria.
• Encapsulation technologies effectively protect phage activity from inactivation (gastric acid, UV light, stress) and enable targeted delivery.
• Studies demonstrate the potential of encapsulated phages to combat Salmonella, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, E. coli, and L. monocytogenes.

Conclusions:

• Encapsulated phage technology presents a viable solution to overcome limitations of traditional phage therapy.
• This approach enhances phage stability, controlled release, and targeted delivery, positioning it as a next-generation antibiotic alternative.
• Further development and application of encapsulated phages are crucial for combating AMR effectively.