Phages & antibiotic resistance: are the most abundant entities on earth ready for a comeback?
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Published Version
Date
2018
Authors
Hill, Colin
Mills, Susan
Ross, R. Paul
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Future Medicine Ltd
Published Version
Abstract
Bacteriophages, which lost out to antibiotic therapy in the past, may be poised to make a comeback. Once discarded because of their narrow activity spectrum, it can now be viewed as a major advantage that these intracellular, self-replicating entities can exert their killing effect with minimal damage to the commensal microbiome. In eastern Europe, phages continue to be used both prophylactically and therapeutically to treat infections. More recently, much needed regulated clinical trials are underway with a view to restoring phage therapy as a tool for mainstream medicine, although current regulations may impede their full potential. One hundred years after their discovery, and amid an antibiotic resistance crisis, we must ask, what can be done to harness their full antibacterial potential?
Description
Keywords
Antibiotic resistance , Bacteriophage , Clinical trials , Escherichia coli , Phage resistance , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Staphylococcus aureus
Citation
Hill, C., Mills, S. and Ross, R. P. (2018) 'Phages & antibiotic resistance: are the most abundant entities on earth ready for a comeback?', Future Microbiology, 13(6), pp. 711-726. doi: 10.2217/fmb-2017-0261