Phage Therapy as an Alternative Treatment Modality for Resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> Infections

• Main Authors: Salman Sahab Atshan (Author), Rukman Awang Hamat (Author), Musheer A. Aljaberi (Author), Jung-Sheng Chen (Author), Shih-Wei Huang (Author), Chung-Ying Lin (Author), Benjamin J. Mullins (Author), Anthony Kicic (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: MDPI AG, 2023-02-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.3390/antibiotics12020286; 2079-6382
• Keywords: phage therapy; antibiotics resistant; <i>S. aureus</i>; biofilms; infection; Therapeutics. Pharmacology; RM1-950
• Source: Antibiotics, Vol 12, Iss 2, p 286 (2023)

The production and use of antibiotics increased significantly after the Second World War due to their effectiveness against bacterial infections. However, bacterial resistance also emerged and has now become an important global issue. Those most in need are typically high-risk and include individuals who experience burns and other wounds, as well as those with pulmonary infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>, <i>Acinetobacter sp,</i> and <i>Staphylococci</i>. With investment to develop new antibiotics waning, finding and developing alternative therapeutic strategies to tackle this issue is imperative. One option remerging in popularity is bacteriophage (phage) therapy. This review focuses on <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and how it has developed resistance to antibiotics. It also discusses the potential of phage therapy in this setting and its appropriateness in high-risk people, such as those with cystic fibrosis, where it typically forms a biofilm.