Bacteriophage Therapy as a Promising Alternative for Antibiotic-Resistant <i>Enterococcus faecium</i>: Advances and Challenges
<i>Enterococcus faecium</i> is a Gram-positive bacterium increasingly identified as a critical nosocomial pathogen that poses significant treatment challenges due to its resistance to multiple antibiotics, particularly vancomycin-resistant <i>E. faecium</i> (VRE) strains. The...
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MDPI AG
2024-11-01
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| Series: | Antibiotics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/13/12/1120 |
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| author | Laura Ribes-Martínez Maria-Carmen Muñoz-Egea Jose Yuste Jaime Esteban Meritxell García-Quintanilla |
| author_facet | Laura Ribes-Martínez Maria-Carmen Muñoz-Egea Jose Yuste Jaime Esteban Meritxell García-Quintanilla |
| author_sort | Laura Ribes-Martínez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Enterococcus faecium</i> is a Gram-positive bacterium increasingly identified as a critical nosocomial pathogen that poses significant treatment challenges due to its resistance to multiple antibiotics, particularly vancomycin-resistant <i>E. faecium</i> (VRE) strains. The urgent need for alternative therapeutic strategies has renewed interest in bacteriophage (phage) therapy, given phages specificity and bactericidal potential. This review explores the advancements in phage therapy against antibiotic-resistant <i>E. faecium</i>, including phage morphological diversity, genomic characteristics, and infection mechanisms. The efficacy of phage therapy in in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models and the compassionate use in clinical settings are evaluated, highlighting the promising outcomes of phage–antibiotic synergies and biofilm disruption. Key challenges and future research directions are discussed, with a focus on improving therapeutic efficacy and overcoming bacterial resistance. This review emphasizes the potential of phage therapy as a viable solution for managing multidrug-resistant <i>E. faecium</i> infections and underscores the importance of future investigations to enhance clinical applications. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-beff91def9d246d6989f5d847bd18952 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2079-6382 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Antibiotics |
| spelling | doaj-art-beff91def9d246d6989f5d847bd189522025-08-20T02:00:50ZengMDPI AGAntibiotics2079-63822024-11-011312112010.3390/antibiotics13121120Bacteriophage Therapy as a Promising Alternative for Antibiotic-Resistant <i>Enterococcus faecium</i>: Advances and ChallengesLaura Ribes-Martínez0Maria-Carmen Muñoz-Egea1Jose Yuste2Jaime Esteban3Meritxell García-Quintanilla4Clinical Microbiology Department, IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, SpainClinical Microbiology Department, IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, SpainMePRAM, Proyecto de Medicina de Precisión Contra las Resistencias Antimicrobianas, CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, SpainClinical Microbiology Department, IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, SpainClinical Microbiology Department, IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain<i>Enterococcus faecium</i> is a Gram-positive bacterium increasingly identified as a critical nosocomial pathogen that poses significant treatment challenges due to its resistance to multiple antibiotics, particularly vancomycin-resistant <i>E. faecium</i> (VRE) strains. The urgent need for alternative therapeutic strategies has renewed interest in bacteriophage (phage) therapy, given phages specificity and bactericidal potential. This review explores the advancements in phage therapy against antibiotic-resistant <i>E. faecium</i>, including phage morphological diversity, genomic characteristics, and infection mechanisms. The efficacy of phage therapy in in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models and the compassionate use in clinical settings are evaluated, highlighting the promising outcomes of phage–antibiotic synergies and biofilm disruption. Key challenges and future research directions are discussed, with a focus on improving therapeutic efficacy and overcoming bacterial resistance. This review emphasizes the potential of phage therapy as a viable solution for managing multidrug-resistant <i>E. faecium</i> infections and underscores the importance of future investigations to enhance clinical applications.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/13/12/1120<i>Enterococcus faecium</i>vancomycin-resistant <i>Enterococcus</i> (VRE)bacteriophagealternative therapyphage therapyantibiotic resistance |
| spellingShingle | Laura Ribes-Martínez Maria-Carmen Muñoz-Egea Jose Yuste Jaime Esteban Meritxell García-Quintanilla Bacteriophage Therapy as a Promising Alternative for Antibiotic-Resistant <i>Enterococcus faecium</i>: Advances and Challenges Antibiotics <i>Enterococcus faecium</i> vancomycin-resistant <i>Enterococcus</i> (VRE) bacteriophage alternative therapy phage therapy antibiotic resistance |
| title | Bacteriophage Therapy as a Promising Alternative for Antibiotic-Resistant <i>Enterococcus faecium</i>: Advances and Challenges |
| title_full | Bacteriophage Therapy as a Promising Alternative for Antibiotic-Resistant <i>Enterococcus faecium</i>: Advances and Challenges |
| title_fullStr | Bacteriophage Therapy as a Promising Alternative for Antibiotic-Resistant <i>Enterococcus faecium</i>: Advances and Challenges |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bacteriophage Therapy as a Promising Alternative for Antibiotic-Resistant <i>Enterococcus faecium</i>: Advances and Challenges |
| title_short | Bacteriophage Therapy as a Promising Alternative for Antibiotic-Resistant <i>Enterococcus faecium</i>: Advances and Challenges |
| title_sort | bacteriophage therapy as a promising alternative for antibiotic resistant i enterococcus faecium i advances and challenges |
| topic | <i>Enterococcus faecium</i> vancomycin-resistant <i>Enterococcus</i> (VRE) bacteriophage alternative therapy phage therapy antibiotic resistance |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/13/12/1120 |
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