Work

Phage therapy: Innovative approaches for refractory pulmonary infections

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: • Drug resistance is reducing the effectiveness of antibiotics for lung infections. • Phage offers a promising therapeutic strategy for pulmonary infection. • Emerging phage therapies pose high efficiency and minimal side effects. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria pose a significant threat to human health worldwide. Phages, natural parasitic viruses of bacteria, have the capability to kill bacterial hosts, including those resistant to antibiotics. With traditional antimicrobials becoming increasingly ineffective and research into new antibiotics waning, bacteriophage therapies are gaining renewed attention. This review discusses recent progress and experiences with phage therapy in the treatment of pulmonary infections. Emerging phage therapy is effective in treating pulmonary infections, and no adverse effects have been observed in animal models and compassionate use cases in humans to date, which encompasses synergistic treatments that combine phages with antibiotics, the use of phage derivatives, the integration of phages with bioengineering, and the development of phage vaccines. Additionally, current limitations of phage therapy are introduced. Due to the lack of pharmacokinetic data in vivo , there is no unified standard for phage dosing regimen. However, in general, phage therapy has great potential in the treatment of pulmonary infections.

Source: Virus Research

DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2025.199649

Authors: Yan Qian, Zhichen Zhu, Jie Zhu, Liang Chen, Hong Du

Institutions: Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, University at Buffalo, State University of New York

Language: English

Topic: Bacteriophages and microbial interactions

Subfield: Ecology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,010