Marine Bacteriophages as Next-Generation Therapeutics: Insights into Antimicrobial Potential and Application
Microbial infections are an escalating global health threat, driven by the alarming rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which has made many conventional antibiotics increasingly ineffective and threatens to reverse decades of medical progress. The rapid emergence and spread of multidrug-resistan...
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2025-07-01
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| author | Riza Jane S. Banicod Aqib Javaid Nazia Tabassum Du-Min Jo Md. Imtaiyaz Hassan Young-Mog Kim Fazlurrahman Khan |
| author_facet | Riza Jane S. Banicod Aqib Javaid Nazia Tabassum Du-Min Jo Md. Imtaiyaz Hassan Young-Mog Kim Fazlurrahman Khan |
| author_sort | Riza Jane S. Banicod |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Microbial infections are an escalating global health threat, driven by the alarming rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which has made many conventional antibiotics increasingly ineffective and threatens to reverse decades of medical progress. The rapid emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria have severely limited treatment options, resulting in increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare burden worldwide. In response to these challenges, phage therapy is regaining interest as a promising alternative. Bacteriophages, the most abundant biological entities, have remarkable specificity toward their bacterial hosts, enabling them to selectively eliminate pathogenic strains. Phage therapy presents several advantages over conventional antibiotics, which include minimal disruption to the microbiome and a slower rate of resistance development. Among the various sources of phages, the marine environment remains one of the least explored. Given their adaptation to saline conditions, high pressure, and variable nutrient levels, marine bacteriophages mostly exhibit enhanced environmental stability, broader host ranges, and distinct infection mechanisms, thus making them highly promising for therapeutic purposes. This review explores the growing therapeutic potential of marine bacteriophages by examining their ecological diversity, biological characteristics, infection dynamics, and practical applications in microbial disease control. It also deals with emerging strategies such as phage–antibiotic synergy, genetic engineering, and the use of phage-derived enzymes, alongside several challenges that must be addressed to enable clinical translation and regulatory approval. Advancing our understanding and application of marine phages presents a promising path in the global fight against AMR and the development of next-generation antimicrobial therapies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a86aaf0194484ed89b84002ed7fa9a15 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj-art-a86aaf0194484ed89b84002ed7fa9a152025-08-20T02:47:08ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152025-07-0117797110.3390/v17070971Marine Bacteriophages as Next-Generation Therapeutics: Insights into Antimicrobial Potential and ApplicationRiza Jane S. Banicod0Aqib Javaid1Nazia Tabassum2Du-Min Jo3Md. Imtaiyaz Hassan4Young-Mog Kim5Fazlurrahman Khan6Fisheries Postharvest Research and Development Division, National Fisheries Research and Development Institute, Quezon City 1128, PhilippinesInterdisciplinary Program of Marine and Fisheries Sciences and Convergent Technology, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of KoreaMarine Integrated Biomedical Technology Center, The National Key Research Institutes in Universities, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of KoreaNational Marine Biodiversity of Korea (MABIK), Seochun 33662, Republic of KoreaCentre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, IndiaMarine Integrated Biomedical Technology Center, The National Key Research Institutes in Universities, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of KoreaInterdisciplinary Program of Marine and Fisheries Sciences and Convergent Technology, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of KoreaMicrobial infections are an escalating global health threat, driven by the alarming rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which has made many conventional antibiotics increasingly ineffective and threatens to reverse decades of medical progress. The rapid emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria have severely limited treatment options, resulting in increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare burden worldwide. In response to these challenges, phage therapy is regaining interest as a promising alternative. Bacteriophages, the most abundant biological entities, have remarkable specificity toward their bacterial hosts, enabling them to selectively eliminate pathogenic strains. Phage therapy presents several advantages over conventional antibiotics, which include minimal disruption to the microbiome and a slower rate of resistance development. Among the various sources of phages, the marine environment remains one of the least explored. Given their adaptation to saline conditions, high pressure, and variable nutrient levels, marine bacteriophages mostly exhibit enhanced environmental stability, broader host ranges, and distinct infection mechanisms, thus making them highly promising for therapeutic purposes. This review explores the growing therapeutic potential of marine bacteriophages by examining their ecological diversity, biological characteristics, infection dynamics, and practical applications in microbial disease control. It also deals with emerging strategies such as phage–antibiotic synergy, genetic engineering, and the use of phage-derived enzymes, alongside several challenges that must be addressed to enable clinical translation and regulatory approval. Advancing our understanding and application of marine phages presents a promising path in the global fight against AMR and the development of next-generation antimicrobial therapies.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/17/7/971marine bacteriophagephage therapyphage–antibiotic synergyantimicrobial resistancephage cocktailphage-derived enzymes |
| spellingShingle | Riza Jane S. Banicod Aqib Javaid Nazia Tabassum Du-Min Jo Md. Imtaiyaz Hassan Young-Mog Kim Fazlurrahman Khan Marine Bacteriophages as Next-Generation Therapeutics: Insights into Antimicrobial Potential and Application Viruses marine bacteriophage phage therapy phage–antibiotic synergy antimicrobial resistance phage cocktail phage-derived enzymes |
| title | Marine Bacteriophages as Next-Generation Therapeutics: Insights into Antimicrobial Potential and Application |
| title_full | Marine Bacteriophages as Next-Generation Therapeutics: Insights into Antimicrobial Potential and Application |
| title_fullStr | Marine Bacteriophages as Next-Generation Therapeutics: Insights into Antimicrobial Potential and Application |
| title_full_unstemmed | Marine Bacteriophages as Next-Generation Therapeutics: Insights into Antimicrobial Potential and Application |
| title_short | Marine Bacteriophages as Next-Generation Therapeutics: Insights into Antimicrobial Potential and Application |
| title_sort | marine bacteriophages as next generation therapeutics insights into antimicrobial potential and application |
| topic | marine bacteriophage phage therapy phage–antibiotic synergy antimicrobial resistance phage cocktail phage-derived enzymes |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/17/7/971 |
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