Transforming Phage Therapy: One Health Strategies Against Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continues to erode the effectiveness of conventional antibacterial treatments, driving an urgent search for alternative and complementary therapeutic strategies. Bacteriophage (phage) therapy has re-emerged as one of the most promising avenues in this effort, offering a highly specific, adaptable, and self-amplifying approach to targeting resistant bacterial pathogens across human, animal, and environmental settings.This Research Topic aims to bring together current advances in phage biology, therapeutic application, and translational research, framed within a One Health perspective that recognizes the interconnected nature of resistance emergence and transmission across clinical, veterinary, agricultural, and environmental reservoirs. We welcome contributions addressing the isolation and characterization of novel phages against priority multidrug-resistant pathogens, phage-host interaction dynamics, and the mechanisms underlying phage resistance and its clinical implications.Particular emphasis will be placed on translational and applied aspects of phage therapy, including personalized phage treatment approaches, phage-antibiotic synergy and combination regimens, phage cocktail formulation and standardization, and regulatory or manufacturing challenges that currently limit clinical adoption. Studies exploring phage therapy in veterinary medicine, food safety, and environmental decontamination are equally encouraged, given their direct relevance to reducing the overall burden of resistant pathogens across sectors.We also invite work examining clinical case studies and compassionate use programs, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modeling of phage therapeutics, host immune responses to phage administration, and the development of rapid diagnostic tools to guide phage selection. Contributions addressing the socioeconomic, regulatory, and policy dimensions of integrating phage therapy into existing AMR mitigation frameworks are welcome, as are review articles synthesizing recent progress and identifying critical knowledge gaps.The sub-themes in this Research Topic include:• Isolation and characterization of novel phages against priority multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens• Phage-host interaction dynamics and mechanisms underlying phage resistance, including clinical implications• Personalized phage treatment approaches• Phage-antibiotic synergy and combination regimens• Phage cocktail formulation and standardization• Regulatory and manufacturing challenges limiting clinical adoption of phage therapy• Phage therapy applications in veterinary medicine, food safety, and environmental decontamination• Clinical case studies and compassionate use programs• Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) modeling of phage therapeutics• Host immune responses to phage administration• Development of rapid diagnostic tools to guide phage selection• Socioeconomic, regulatory, and policy dimensions of integrating phage therapy into AMR mitigation frameworksBy consolidating research across these interconnected areas, this Research Topic seeks to advance a more coordinated and evidence-based path toward incorporating phage therapy into mainstream antimicrobial strategies, ultimately supporting global efforts to curb the spread and impact of antimicrobial resistance.In this Research Topic we welcome the following article types: FAIR² DATA Direct Submission, FAIR² Data, Hypothesis and Theory, Methods, Mini Review, Opinion, Original Research, Perspective, Review, Systematic Review, Technology and Code. Topic editors: Muhammad Shafiq, Sadeeq Ur Rahman Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/86182/transforming-phage-therapy-one-health-strategies-against-antimicrobial-resistance