Phage-antibiotic synergy

Author: Maria Chichashvili
Keywords: Antibiotic resistance, Bacteriophages, Antibiotic-phage synergy, Combination therapy.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified antibiotic resistance as one of the greatest threats to global health, food security, and development. This alarming trend threatens to undermine the effectiveness of current antibiotic therapies, potentially leading to a post-antibiotic era where minor infections could once again become fatal. In response to this crisis, there is an urgent need to explore alternative or complementary therapeutic strategies to antibiotics. One promising approach is the use of bacteriophages, or phages, which are viruses that specifically infect and lyse bacteria. Antibiotic-phage synergy refers to the enhanced antibacterial effects observed when antibiotics and phages are used in combination. This synergy can result in improved bacterial clearance, reduced biofilm formation, and diminished development of resistance. The complementary mechanisms of action—where antibiotics typically inhibit bacterial growth and phages actively destroy bacterial cells—form the basis of this powerful therapeutic strategy.