# Re-Emergence of Bacteriophages and Their Products as Antibacterial Agents: An Overview

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, are being reconsidered as a promising alternative to antibiotics for treating bacterial infections.

## Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive overview of the re-emergence of bacteriophages and their antibacterial potential in the context of antibiotic resistance.

## Key findings

- Bacteriophages offer advantages over antibiotics, including high specificity and self-replication.
- Phage-antibiotic synergy and the risks of phage resistance are discussed as key considerations.
- Quorum sensing is highlighted as a potential mechanism influencing phage therapy effectiveness.

## Abstract

Microbes possess diverse genetic and metabolic traits that help them withstand adverse conditions. Microbial pathogens cause significant economic losses and around 7.7 million human deaths annually. While antibiotics have historically been a lifesaving treatment, their effectiveness is declining due to antibiotic-resistant strains, prompting the exploration of bacterial predation as an alternative. Bacteriophages (BPhs) have reemerged as antibacterial agents, offering advantages over antibiotics, such as (i) high specificity, (ii) self-replication, and (iii) strong killing capacity. This review explores BPh- and enzyme-based antibacterial strategies for infectious disease treatment, discussing phage–antibiotic synergy, the risks of BPh resistance, and the role of quorum sensing in BPh therapy.