THE POTENTIAL OF BACTERIOPHAGE THERAPY AS AN ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT FOR ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT INFECTIONS

Аннотация

Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses found abundantly in the environment and have the ability to infect, replicate within, and ultimately destroy bacteria in a highly specific manner during their lytic phase. Unlike antibiotics, phages have a much narrower host range, making them a promising supplement or even alternative to antibiotic therapy, particularly when combating multiple drug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections, where antibiotics often fail. The concept of bacteriophage therapy is not new. In fact, bacteriophages were first identified in the early 20th century, with Felix d'Herelle pioneering their therapeutic use after British bacteriologist Frederick W. Twort first described bacterial lysis in 1915. The former Soviet Union consistently used phages to treat infections like gastrointestinal diseases and gas gangrene in soldiers. However, in the Western world, phage therapy fell out of favor following the discovery of penicillin after World War II.