Alternative treatment modes for antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens have become a public health priority. Bacteriophages are bacterial viruses that infect and lyse bacterial cells. Since bacteriophages are frequently bacterial host species-specific and can often also infect antibiotic-resistant bacterial cells, they could represent ideal antimicrobials for fighting the antibiotic resistance crisis. The medical use of bacteriophages has become known as phage therapy. It is widely used in Russia, where phage cocktails are sold in pharmacies as an over-the-counter drug. However, no phage product has been registered for medical purposes outside of the former Soviet Union. The current Special Issue of Viruses contains a collection of papers from opinion leaders in the field who explore hurdles to the introduction of phage therapy in western countries. The articles cover diverse topics ranging from patent to regulatory issues, the targeting of suitable bacterial infections, and the selection and characterization of safe and efficient phage cocktails. Phage resistance is discussed, and gaps in our knowledge of phage-bacterium interactions in the mammalian body are revealed, while other articles explore the use of phages in food production and processing.
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alginate abortive infection bacterial resistance bacteriophages ATMP MALDI-MS adaptation Bacteriophage horizontal gene transfer adaptive immunity co-evolution Listeria ivanovii personalised medicines pH stability phage-human host interaction vB_SauM-fRuSau02 antimicrobial resistance phagodisinfection biofilm capsule depolymerase animal model phage cocktails Enterococcus cases report zoonosis resistance magistral formula experimental therapy Belgium phage therapy E. faecalis nontraditional antibacterial industrial phage application Democratic Republic of the Congo OrthoMCL Germany high-throughput sequencing antimicrobial infection antibiotic therapy Kayvirus phages Twortlikevirus bacterial disease human host Pseudomonas aeruginosa phage multidrug-resistant bacteria bacterial infection Salmonella Typhi rhamnopolysaccharide compassionate use crop production compounding pharmacy antimicrobial resistance (AMR) best practices bacteriophage efficacy phage sensitivity antibiotic-resistance antibiotic lysins PTMP Escherichia coli typhoid fever patent landscape phage preparation innate immunity anti-phage antibodies immunology Staphylococcus aureus global health clinical trial adsorption Brussels phage-resistance Galleria mellonella science communication history of science virus-host interactions foodborne illness prophage resistance management biofilms IND immunomodulation frequency of resistance capsule gastrointestinal tract phage-host interactions disinfection production bacteriophage therapy bacteriophage Staphylococcus magistral preparation extended-spectrum beta lactamases (ESBL) Viral proteins antibiotic resistance genomics phage biocontrol therapy target selection viral genomes evolution pharmaceutical paradigm shift personalized medicine pharmaceutical legislation food safety regulation virulence developing countries infectious disease regulatory framework sustainable agriculture Klebsiella pneumoniae