Translating phage therapy into the clinic: Recent accomplishments but continuing challenges
Open Access
- 23 May 2023
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Public Library of Science (PLoS) in PLoS Biology
- Vol. 21 (5), e3002119
- https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002119
Abstract
Phage therapy is a medical form of biological control of bacterial infections, one that uses naturally occurring viruses, called bacteriophages or phages, as antibacterial agents. Pioneered over 100 years ago, phage therapy nonetheless is currently experiencing a resurgence in interest, with growing numbers of clinical case studies being published. This renewed enthusiasm is due in large part to phage therapy holding promise for providing safe and effective cures for bacterial infections that traditional antibiotics acting alone have been unable to clear. This Essay introduces basic phage biology, provides an outline of the long history of phage therapy, highlights some advantages of using phages as antibacterial agents, and provides an overview of recent phage therapy clinical successes. Although phage therapy has clear clinical potential, it faces biological, regulatory, and economic challenges to its further implementation and more mainstream acceptance.Keywords
Funding Information
- Office for Health and Medical Research (Phage Therapy Fellowship)
- National Health Medical Research Council (Iredell_APP1197534)
- U.S. Public Health Service (R21AI156304)
- U.S. Public Health Service (R01AI169865)
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