Dawn of antimicrobials: Using phages to synergize with antibiotics to counteract bacteria

Abstract

Currently, the misuse of antibiotics has led to a global crisis of antibiotic resistance, and people have to start seeking new strategies to solve this problem. Traditional phage therapy has been valued for its advantages of strong bactericidal efficacy and self-replication. However, the use of phage alone may confront a series of problems, such as a narrow antimicrobial spectrum, phage resistance, and immunogenicity. If phage and antibiotics are used in combination, they can synergistically lyse host bacteria and better control or eradicate bacterial infections. Therefore, their combination has recently begun to become a hotspot for research and application of phage therapy. In this paper, by collating the research literature and clinical reports on the combined application of phage and antibiotics, we explore and summarize the synergistic mechanism of phage and antibiotics, the mechanism of bacterial resistance, and the limitations of this cocktail therapy.