# Bacteriophage Therapy: Current Strategies and Future Perspectives

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how bacteriophages can be used to treat drug-resistant infections, prevent hospital-acquired diseases, and develop vaccines, offering a modern alternative to antibiotics.

## Contribution

The paper systematically reviews the expanding scope of phage applications beyond traditional antibacterial use, including precision therapies and vaccine platforms.

## Key findings

- Phage therapy shows promise in treating multidrug-resistant infections and preventing hospital-acquired infections.
- Genetic engineering can broaden phage host ranges and convert temperate phages into lytic variants.
- Phages are effective in eliminating bacterial biofilms and controlling waterborne pathogens in hospital systems.

## Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance represents a significant global health threat, demanding alternative treatments beyond traditional antibiotics. Phage therapy has resurged as a promising solution to address this challenge. This manuscript offers an in‐depth examination of phage applications in clinical settings, encompassing the treatment of multidrug‐resistant infections, prevention of hospital‐acquired infections, and development of phage‐based vaccines. Advanced strategies are explored, including phage–antibiotic synergy, biomaterial‐enhanced delivery systems to improve phage stability, and the rational design of engineered phages to expand host range and optimize lytic efficacy. Additionally, the application of genetic engineering to broaden phage host ranges and convert temperate phages into lytic variants is discussed. In hospital infection prevention, phages demonstrate substantial potential, such as eliminating bacterial biofilms on medical devices, disinfecting environmental surfaces, and controlling waterborne pathogens in hospital water systems. Furthermore, phages offer a versatile platform for vaccine development, facilitating efficient antigen display and nucleic acid delivery. Despite progress, challenges persist in pharmacokinetics, standardized production, and regulatory approval. This review synthesizes recent preclinical and clinical developments, emphasizing the transformative potential of phage‐based therapies while acknowledging the barriers to their clinical implementation.

This manuscript systematically reviews the expanding scope of phage applications. It moves beyond traditional antibacterial use to explore their role in precision therapies against drug‐resistant infections, their synergy with antibiotics, and advanced biomaterial‐assisted delivery systems. The scope further extends to environmental decontamination (biofilm and water system control) and their innovative utility as versatile platforms for vaccine design, highlighting phages as multifaceted tools in medicine and biotechnology.