Phage Therapy: A Potential Alternative in the Treatment of Multi-Drug Resistant Bacterial Infections

Abstract

The development of antibiotic‒resistant in bacteria has enhanced the scope of developing alternative approaches to conventional drugs. Bacteriophage therapy is one such approach that can be used as an alternative to antibiotics. The significance of live phages in counteracting lethal infectious and life threatening diseases caused by Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria has been reported. Bacteriophage therapy is a significant alternative to antibiotics in the current era of multidrug resistant bacterial infections as phages are used topically, orally or systemically in studies reviewed. The success rates found in these studies were 80‒95% with few gastrointestinal or allergic side effects. British studies also verified significant effectiveness of phages against Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter spp., Pseudomonas spp and Staphylococcus aureus. US studies dealt with improving the bioavailability of phage. Problems faced in these studies have also been discussed. Conclusively, phage therapy may prove as an important alternative to antibiotics for combating multidrug resistant pathogens;