The Many Applications of Engineered Bacteriophages—An Overview

Pharmaceuticals

Bryan Gibb¹  Paul Hyman²  Christine L. Schneider³ 

[1] Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Theobald Science Center, Room 423, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, NY 11568-8000, USA;Department of Biology and Toxicology, Ashland University, 401 College Ave., Ashland, OH 44805, USA;Department of Life Sciences, Carroll University, 100 North East Ave., Waukesha, WI 53186, USA;

关键词: bacteriophage;    phage therapy;    engineered phage;    imaging agent;    pathogen detection;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ph14070634

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Since their independent discovery by Frederick Twort in 1915 and Felix d’Herelle in 1917, bacteriophages have captured the attention of scientists for more than a century. They are the most abundant organisms on the planet, often outnumbering their bacterial hosts by tenfold in a given environment, and they constitute a vast reservoir of unexplored genetic information. The increased prevalence of antibiotic resistant pathogens has renewed interest in the use of naturally obtained phages to combat bacterial infections, aka phage therapy. The development of tools to modify phages, genetically or chemically, combined with their structural flexibility, cargo capacity, ease of propagation, and overall safety in humans has opened the door to a myriad of applications. This review article will introduce readers to many of the varied and ingenious ways in which researchers are modifying phages to move them well beyond their innate ability to target and kill bacteria.

【 授权许可】

Unknown