Antibiotic resistance is a serious threat to global health. This is because it can make the treatment of bacterial infections in humans difficult. Researchers are turning to alternative therapies to counter the rise of multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDR bacteria). One such promising treatment is bacteriophage therapy.
Bacteriophage therapy also referred to as phage therapy, uses viruses to specifically target and kill harmful bacteria. It is becoming an ideal option for treating bacterial infections that are resistant to antibiotics.
Bacteriophages can be used to treat multidrug resistant bacteria. They have minimal impact on non-target bacteria or body tissues. Growing popularity of phage therapy to combat bacterial infections is set to boost fuel its demand.
What is the adoption rate of bacteriophage therapy? According to Coherent Market Insights, demand for bacteriophage therapy is set to rise at 3.7% CAGR during the forecast period. Total phage therapy industry size is anticipated to reach US$ 1651.8 million by 2030. Ongoing bacteriophage therapy research and growing usage of phage therapy for infections are key factors behind this growth.
How Does Bacteriophage Therapy Work?
Bacteriophage therapy involves administering viruses/phages to a patient to treat bacterial infections. The administrated phages target specific bacteria causing the infection and destroy it. What really makes phage therapy ideal for treating bacterial infections? The answer is its specificity and self-replication.
Bacteriophage Therapy Advancements
Phage therapy for infections has been in use for so many years. However, it was only recent advancements that made it a more promising option for tackling antibiotic resistance. Today, it is considered a viable alternative to traditional antibiotics owing to its effectiveness and safety. Continuous advances are making antibiotic resistance treatment with bacteriophages more effective.
- Bioengineered Phages
Phage engineering has thrown a new light into the bacteriophage therapy industry. Scientists are using CRISPR-Cas approaches to modify phage and improve their effectiveness against antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Bioengineered phages are designed to accomplish desired tasks that they would not do naturally. The bioengineering of phages holds significant potential to enhance their therapeutic efficacy via expanded host range, modification of phage capsids, and enabling delivery of exogenous genes.
Bioengineered phages are also transforming the vaccinology field. Phages are highly stable and simple, making them optimal vaccine delivery vehicles. Their inexpensive mass production and potent adjuvant capacities also make them compatible with vaccine design.
Phage-based vaccines offer a high safety profile and efficient immunostimulatory effects. This is because bacteriophages have co-evolved with humans and other organisms over a long evolutionary period.
- Phage Cocktails
Scientists are creating phage cocktails for combatting antibiotic resistance with bacteriophages. Phage cocktails are mixtures of different bacteriophages that attack and destroy bacteria through multiple mechanisms. Growing popularity of bacteriophage cocktail therapy is expected to boost the target industry.
Phage cocktails are mostly used to treat individual or multi-bacterial infections. This is due to the fact that bacterial agents are unlikely to become resistant as a result of exposure to multiple phages simultaneously. For instance, they can be employed to treat Crohn’s disease and chronic ear infections.
- Improved Delivery Methods
Researchers are developing new ways to deliver phages to infection sites. For instance, they are encapsulating them in liposomes for better stability and targeting. Similarly, they use nanoparticles for better phage delivery.
Liposome-encapsulated bacteriophages are gaining traction in various therapeutic areas. Liposomes have the tendency to protect phages from gastric acids. Encapsulation also improves the stability and shelf life of bacteriophages, thereby making them more effective in treating digestive tract infections.
- Personalized Medicine
Phage therapy can be personalized to target specific bacteria. It can be used in conjunction with antibiotics to improve therapeutic outcomes.
Bacteriophages can be engineered to target specific bacterial strains. This makes phage therapy more precise compared to antibiotics. Personalized medicine with phage therapy can tailor the treatment to the individual’s bacterial infection, thereby improving treatment outcomes and reducing side effects.
Phage therapy alongside antibiotics has the tendency to combat antibiotic resistance. It does this by targeting and destroying bacteria that might be resistant to traditional antibiotics.
