Page 40 - GPD-3-3

Gene & Protein in Disease

REVIEW ARTICLE
Insights into phage therapy for Mycobacterium

infections

Yuhan Wang † , Sensen Hu † , Yu Sun † , Xinying Ji , Kunhou Yao* , and
Tieshan Teng*
Henan International Joint Laboratory for Nuclear Protein Regulation, School of Basic Medical
Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, China

Abstract

The irrational use of antibiotics has led to the persistent emergence of multi-
drug-resistant bacteria, extensively drug-resistant bacteria, and even “superbugs,”
pushing humanity toward a “post-antibiotic era” devoid of effective antibiotics.
Consequently, the quest for novel treatment strategies has become an urgent priority.
Bacteriophages, which are viruses that infect bacteria, originate from a variety of
sources and exhibit high host specificity. This makes them an exceptional alternative
to antibiotics, offering superior bactericidal efficacy. Their unique characteristics
provide a novel approach to treating drug-resistant bacterial infections, offering a
promising avenue for improving human health. Mycobacteriophages are a specific
family of bacteriophages that parasitize bacteria of the genus Mycobacterium and are
ubiquitously distributed in nature. They play a crucial role in regulating mycobacterial
† These authors contributed equally infection and advancing antimicrobial therapy. This review provides a comprehensive
to this work.
introduction to the structure, infection mechanism, clinical applications, phage
*Corresponding authors: resistance, and research progress of mycobacteriophages. The aim is to enhance our
Kunhou Yao
(hndxyao@henu.edu.cn) understanding of their characteristics and potential applications in biomedicine,
Tieshan Teng providing a comprehensive reference for related research.
(10190136@vip.henu.edu.cn)
Citation: Wang Y, Hu S, Sun Y, Keywords: Drug-resistant bacteria; Mycobacteriophage; Phage-resistant strains;
Ji X, Yao K, Teng T. Insights into
phage therapy for Mycobacterium Biological characteristics; Applications
infection. Gene Protein Dis.
2024;3(3):2935.
doi: 10.36922/gpd.2935
Received: February 14, 2024 1. Introduction
Accepted: June 18, 2024
Published Online: September 10, Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) stands as one of the foremost global public health
2024 threats. It occurs when bacteria, viruses, and fungi stop responding to antimicrobial
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s). medicines, rendering antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines less effective and
This is an Open-Access article making infections challenging or even impossible to treat. Bacterial AMR is estimated
1
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution to account for 1.27 million global deaths annually and could potentially escalate to 10
License, permitting distribution, million deaths per year by 2050. While AMR is a natural process that evolves gradually
and reproduction in any medium, through genetic changes in pathogens, its emergence and spread are accelerated by
provided the original work is
properly cited. human activity, particularly the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials for treating,
preventing, or controlling infections in humans and animals. 2
Publisher’s Note: AccScience
Publishing remains neutral with Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant contributor to AMR, with the prevalence of
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) being a particularly significant issue. This disease is
affiliations. caused by bacteria that are resistant to isoniazid and rifampicin, the two most effective

Volume 3 Issue 3 (2024) 1 doi: 10.36922/gpd.2935