Efficacy of Bacteriophages in Wound Healing: An Updated Review

Cureus. 2024 Oct 15;16(10):e71542. doi: 10.7759/cureus.71542. eCollection 2024 Oct.

Abstract

We have attempted to summarize the efficacy of bacteriophage therapy, highlighting the recent advances and phage delivery methods in different clinical trials and animal studies for wound-associated infections. Bacteriophage therapy is the lyse of bacteria by bacteriophages at the site of invasion. As bacteria become more resistant to antibiotics, discovering an alternative is more important than ever, and bacteriophage therapy has yielded promising outcomes. A clear knowledge of the bacteriophage, microbiota, and human host and their interaction is necessary to implement bacteriophage treatment on a large scale. Much technological advancement and regulatory guidelines increased the credibility of phage therapy (PT). Still, the challenges include the development of efficient bacteriophage screening methods, phage therapy strategies for biofilms, and the quality and safety of phage preparations. However, much consideration is to be taken in designing a novel therapeutic approach for antibiotic-resistant infections by using phages, phage lytic proteins, bioengineered phages, or antibiotics in combination.

Keywords: antibiotic resistance; bacteriophages; chronic wounds; infection control; wound healing.

Publication types

  • Review