Bacteriophage therapy: A potential solution to antibiotic resistance explore the use of viruses that specifically target bacteria as alternative treatments | ||
| Microbes and Infectious Diseases | ||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 31 August 2025 | ||
| Document Type: Review Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/mid.2025.386876.2811 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Utkalika Mallick1, 2; Alisha Sinha1, 2; Kabita Chanania3; Mahesh Chandra Sahu* 2 | ||
| 1Centre for Biotechnology, Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University, Kalinganagar, Bhubaneswar-751003, Odisha, India | ||
| 2Division of Environmental Surveillance and Public Health, ICMR -Regional Medical Research Centre, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India | ||
| 3Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, IMS and SUM Hospital, K-8, Kalinganagar, Bhubaneswar 751030, Odisha, India | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Background: The global emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has rendered numerous bacterial infections harder to treat, and with this, alternative solutions like bacteriophage therapy have been sought. Phages are viruses that selectively infect and kill bacteria, providing a very specific and dynamic solution against drug-resistant pathogens. This review systematically searched literature between the years 2000 and 2025 from databases like PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Evidence shows phage therapy to be effective, less disruptive to useful microbiota, and able to replicate within sites of infection. Clinical case histories substantiate its promise, especially where standard antibiotics have been unsuccessful. Limitations such as limited host range, phage resistance development, regulatory obstacles, and production hurdles persist. Improvements in genetic engineering, synthetic biology, and targeted treatment strategies hold promise for surmounting these obstacles. The review here seeks to critically assess the clinical significance, therapeutic value, and limitations of bacteriophage therapy in order to determine major areas of potential future application against antibiotic-resistant infection. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Bacteriophage therapy; Antibiotic resistance; Antimicrobial resistance (AMR); Phage specificity; Infectious disease treatment | ||
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