Open AccessThe Future of Bacteriophage Therapy Will Promote Antimicrobial Susceptibility
Author(s) -
Olivia Williams Barber,
Iria Mañas Miramontes,
Manu Jain,
Egon A. Ozer,
Erica M. Hartmann
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
msystems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.931
H-Index - 39
ISSN - 2379-5077
DOI - 10.1128/msystems.00218-21
Subject(s) - bacteriophage , efflux , antibiotic resistance , antimicrobial , context (archaeology) , phage therapy , pseudomonas aeruginosa , biology , drug resistance , microbiology and biotechnology , antibiotics , bacteria , genetics , escherichia coli , gene , paleontology
Rising antimicrobial resistance severely limits efforts to treat infections and is a cause for critical concern. Renewed interest in bacteriophage therapy has advanced understanding of the breadth of species capable of targeting bacterial antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, but many questions concerning ideal application remain unanswered. The following minireview examines bacterial resistance mechanisms, the current state of bacteriophage therapy, and how bacteriophage therapy can augment strategies to combat resistance with a focus on the clinically relevant bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa , as well as the role of efflux pumps in antimicrobial resistance. Methods to prevent antimicrobial efflux using efflux pump inhibitors and phage steering, a type of bacteriophage therapy, are also covered. The evolutionary context underlying antimicrobial resistance and the need to include theory in the ongoing development of bacteriophage therapy are also discussed.