Unveiling the potential bacteriophage therapy: a systematic review

Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance renders conventional therapy, demanding the need for alternative therapeutic techniques. A potential strategy for treating infections caused by multi-drug-resistant bacteria is using bacteriophages, viruses that only multiply and infect specific bacteria. This review aims to evaluate the findings of clinical studies on phage therapy for bacterial illnesses. Methods: A comprehensive search method was utilized to identify 11 appropriate trials, which were then assessed for safety, efficacy, and treatment outcomes. The Joann-Briggs-Institute checklist and PRISMA criteria were used to evaluate these studies thoroughly. The results were summarized by extracting and analyzing data on trial design, treatment outcomes, safety profiles, and therapeutic effectiveness. Results: Phage treatment had a strong safety profile, with few side effects recorded across many routes, including oral, intravenous, and topical. Clinical studies demonstrated its effectiveness in lowering bacterial loads, resolving infections, and destroying biofilms. However, diversity in trial designs hampered the generalizability of the findings. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the promise of phage therapy as a safe and efficient treatment for bacterial-illnesses. Despite its potential, there are still significant gaps in clinical application, long-term efficacy assessment, and trial standardization. Addressing these issues is critical to developing phage therapy as an effective alternative treatment for multidrug-resistant-illnesses.