Phage therapy: Current development and future prospects

Abstract Phage therapy is the application of bacteriophages (phages) or bacterial viruses as antibacterial agents. Prior to the discovery of penicillin by Fleming in 1929, phages have been used for control or eradication of bacterial infection in Eastern countries. However, the synthesis of broad-spectrum antibiotics repressed the research on phage therapy. Rediscovery of phage therapy, especially in Western countries, was induced by developing multidrug-resistance bacteria. Phages, with their pros and cons, show great potential as alternative or synergistic agents to chemical antibiotics to treat bacterial infection in situations where antibiotic therapy is ineffective. In this chapter, we describe the current development and future prospects of phage therapy, discuss the concerns about phage therapy, and suggest some solutions to avoid or circumvent the problems.