The Future of Phages in Research and Health
The future of phages in research and healthcare is only just beginning to be realized. Outside of the realm of phage therapy, dozens of avenues for phages have opened. From bioengineering to cancer research, applications for phages are numerous. Originally thought of merely as antibiological particles, we now recognize them as bacterial viruses with broad potential. To close, we will briefly discuss areas of human health that have thus far not been explored in regard to phages.It is often highlighted in research on endogenous phages and even in general microbiota studies that little is known about the human virome. The past decade has revealed a key role for the phages in gut health, but there is limited evidence as to their role at other sites. Many key questions remain regarding phages in both maintenance of a healthy microbiota and their role in disease and dysbiosis. Discussed above is the ability for phages to enter the circulatory system and access nearly any region of the human body. Given this faculty for translocation, we would be remiss to not consider phages when studying disease at nearly any site.An obvious potential area of importance for phages is in skin diseases. However, both eczema and psoriasis have limited studies examining the skin virome and even fewer studies examining the virome at sites of skin irritation. Psoriasis, which forms plaques, could yield compelling evidence of phage interactions in disease. Phages have also been neglected in the study of autoimmune diseases. It has now become apparent that infection with eukaryotic viruses increases the risk of several autoimmune diseases. Studies have found that humans develop anti-phage antibodies, indicating the potential for phage immunogenicity. However, the effects of phages, both endogenous and those that enter from the environment, have not been examined in these disorders.There are many potential therapeutic uses of phages to treat human diseases, and the future of phages is bright. It is clear by the surge in publications and popular press involving phages that we are in the midst of a phage renaissance, and much ongoing work may have dramatic implications for human health and disease. Many areas of human health have been neglected when it comes to phage research, but this is being gradually remedied, and we are entering an unprecedented age of discovery when it comes to phages. Twenty years ago, Roger Hendrix made the statement, “All the world’s a phage”, and today, this has never been more true.
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