Phage Therapy: Application and Related Problems-A Review.

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Virology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that infect bacteria, offering a potential alternative to antibiotics.
• Antibiotic resistance necessitates novel therapeutic strategies like phage therapy.
• Phage therapy's adoption is hindered by regulatory, funding, and antibiotic market dominance issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current status of phage therapy.
• To assess the safety and efficacy of phage therapy based on scientific literature and clinical studies.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature search with predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria.
• Assessment of selected scientific reports and clinical studies.
• Evaluation of safety and efficacy profiles.

Main Results:

• Advancements in phage therapy include rapid detection, isolation, production, purification, and host interaction studies.
• Clinical studies indicate promising safety profiles with fewer adverse events compared to controls.
• Case reports suggest high success rates and minimal adverse events, though potential biases exist.

Conclusions:

• Phage therapy demonstrates potential efficacy and safety, with some studies showing effectiveness even at lower phage titers.
• Significant research gaps persist, particularly the need for large-scale, well-designed clinical trials.
• Continued research and clinical evaluation are crucial for the widespread adoption of phage therapy.