Does Phage Therapy Need a Pan-Phage?

Abstract

The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria is undoubtedly one of the most serious global health threats. One response to this threat that has been gaining momentum over the past decade is ‘phage therapy’. According to this, lytic bacteriophages are used for the treatment of bacterial infections, either alone or in combination with antimicrobial agents. However, to ensure the efficacy and broad applicability of phage therapy, several challenges must be overcome. These challenges encompass the development of methods and strategies for the host range manipulation and bypass of the resistance mechanisms developed by pathogenic bacteria, as has been the case since the advent of antibiotics. As our knowledge and understanding of the interactions between phages and their hosts evolves, the key issue is to define the host range for each application. In this article, we discuss the factors that affect host range and how this determines the classification of phages into different categories of action. For each host range group, recent representative examples are provided, together with suggestions on how the different groups can be used to combat certain types of bacterial infections. The available methodologies for host range expansion, either through sequential adaptation to a new pathogen or through genetic engineering techniques, are also reviewed.