Mycobacteriophages: therapeutic approach for mycobacterial infections

• Published in: Drug discovery today 2024-07, Vol.29 (7), p.104049, Article 104049
• Main Authors: Raman, Sunil Kumar, Siva Reddy, D.V., Jain, Vikas, Bajpai, Urmi, Misra, Amit, Singh, Amit Kumar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: inhalation; lysin; Mycobacteriophage; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; non-tuberculous mycobacterial lung disease; pulmonary delivery
• ISSN: 1359-6446; 1878-5832; 1878-5832
• DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2024.104049

•Mycobacteriophages and phage-derived products offer a potential alternative for TB treatment.•Experience with phage therapy for NTM infections paves the way for its application for TB treatment.•Mycobacteriophages and their products are likely to evoke an immune response as foreign antigens.•Discovery and development on mycobacteriophage therapy must be mindful of the regulatory landscape.•Success hinges on identifying new lytic bacteriophages along with an efficient delivery system. Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant global health threat, and cases of infection with non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) causing lung disease (NTM-LD) are rising. Bacteriophages and their gene products have garnered interest as potential therapeutic options for bacterial infections. Here, we have compiled information on bacteriophages and their products that can kill Mycobacterium tuberculosis or NTM. We summarize the mechanisms whereby viable phages can access macrophage-resident bacteria and not elicit immune responses, review methodologies of pharmaceutical product development containing mycobacteriophages and their gene products, mainly lysins, in the context of drug regulatory requirements and we discuss industrially relevant methods for producing pharmaceutical products comprising mycobacteriophages, emphasizing delivery of mycobacteriophages to the lungs. We conclude with an outline of some recent case studies on mycobacteriophage therapy.