Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect bacteria. They have been known to science for over 100 years and were used as antibacterial agents before penicillin was discovered. The development of phage therapy involves three stages: phage isolation and testing, preclinical testing in animal models, and clinical implementation. The main goal is to effectively eliminate bacterial infections, including those resistant to antibiotics. Although the development of phage therapy for human bacterial infections is ongoing, this chapter analyzes factors affecting its usefulness and aims to improve its effectiveness and versatility against antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens based on clinical treatment studies from 2000 to early 2021.
Clinicina’s guide for phage therapy
PHAGElogist 