Mycobacteriophages in diagnosis and alternative treatment of mycobacterial infections

Xudong Ouyang; Xiaotian Li; Jinmiao Song; Hui Wang; Shuxian Wang; Ren Fang; Zhaoli Li; Ningning Song

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2023.1277178

Mycobacteriophages in diagnosis and alternative treatment of mycobacterial infections

Front Microbiol. 2023 Sep 28:14:1277178. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1277178. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Xudong Ouyang^{1

2}, Xiaotian Li^{1

2}, Jinmiao Song^{1

2}, Hui Wang^{1

2}, Shuxian Wang^{1

2}, Ren Fang^{1

2}, Zhaoli Li³, Ningning Song^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ School of Life Science and Technology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China.
² Weifang Key Laboratory of Respiratory Tract Pathogens and Drug Therapy, Weifang, China.
³ SAFE Pharmaceutical Technology Co. Ltd., Beijing, China.

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance is an increasing threat to human populations. The emergence of multidrug-resistant "superbugs" in mycobacterial infections has further complicated the processes of curing patients, thereby resulting in high morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis and alternative treatment are important for improving the success and cure rates associated with mycobacterial infections and the use of mycobacteriophages is a potentially good option. Since each bacteriophage has its own host range, mycobacteriophages have the capacity to detect specific mycobacterial isolates. The bacteriolysis properties of mycobacteriophages make them more attractive when it comes to treating infectious diseases. In fact, they have been clinically applied in Eastern Europe for several decades. Therefore, mycobacteriophages can also treat mycobacteria infections. This review explores the potential clinical applications of mycobacteriophages, including phage-based diagnosis and phage therapy in mycobacterial infections. Furthermore, this review summarizes the current difficulties in phage therapy, providing insights into new treatment strategies against drug-resistant mycobacteria.

Keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis; mycobacterial infection; mycobacteriophage; non-tuberculous mycobacteria; phage therapy.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by Youth Innovation Team Project for Talent Introduction and Cultivation in Universities of Shandong Province, China; by the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province, China (Grant Number ZR2023QC281); and by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Number 31873014).