Reviving Phage Therapy: A Novel Approach to Treat Respiratory-Associated Infections

Bacteriophages or phages in general are bacterial viruses that can kill bacteria and play a fundamental role in regulating bacterial populations. One notable application of phages is in the treatment of bacterial infections, where phages’ lytic capabilities enable them to effectively eliminate bacterial populations. In the face of rising antibiotic resistance, especially multi-, extensive-, and pan-drug-resistant bacteria, there is an urgent need for alternative therapies, like phage therapy. This chapter highlights the clinical applications of phage therapy against drug-resistant respiratory-associated infections and also covers ongoing research on phages and challenges. Isolating bacteriophages against specific pathogens, characterizing them therapeutically for their lytic activity, host range, and life cycle, genome analysis, and purification are essential before considering the phages for preclinical and clinical studies. Further, this review also addresses the challenges that have been faced in translating phage therapy from benchwork to clinical settings, providing an in-depth understanding of the optimization of the mode of administration, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of phages and its various formulations against pulmonary infections. This review also points to the compassionate use of phage therapy in respiratory-associated infections. The emergence of superbugs has left clinicians with minimal or no drug of choice. Phage therapy could serve as a promising alternative or be used in combination with antibiotics to address this crisis. This chapter provides an update on the compassionate use of phages in therapy against respiratory infections and the associated challenges with it.