Breakthroughs in the Non-Antibiotic Therapies for Infectious Disease Treatment from Phages to Peptides and Beyond

The development of antibiotics has changed the course of bacterial disease treatment and probably saved billions of human lives, making them an essential achievement in medicine. However, with the surge in the human population, extensive use and misuse of antibiotics have led microorganisms to develop resistance against these antibiotics, which is known as antimicrobial resistance. This threatens human health, leading to catastrophic consequences in the healthcare system. The proposed chapter prescribes answers to the need for innovative approaches that offer insights into fighting microbial resistance other than the traditional antibiotics. The range of non-antibiotic therapies currently under study includes phage therapy, antimicrobial peptides, CRISPR-Cas against antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, immunotherapies and vaccines, probiotics, postbiotics and symbiotic, and bacteriophage-derived enzymes. We have also discussed the challenges for the development and implementation of these therapies, such as regulatory hurdles, safety concerns, and budget issues, simultaneously highlighting their benefits relative to conventional antibiotics with different modes of action. We provide a brief analysis of the current state of affairs and the ethical issues pertaining to non-antibiotic therapies for antimicrobial resistance and suggestions for future research.