Bacteriophage-mediated antibacterial and photodynamic therapies

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance threatens global health, with multidrug-resistant pathogens causing millions of deaths annually. Conventional antibiotics face limitations due to bacterial biofilms, resistance mechanisms, and host toxicity. Bacteriophages, due to their high specificity, hold great potential in antimicrobial therapy, targeted drug delivery. In recent years, advances in chemical biology and nanomaterials science have led to the continuous refinement of surface chemical modification strategies for bacteriophage capsids, providing robust support for their functional expansion. This review summarizes commonly employed bacteriophage surface modification techniques, including both covalent and non-covalent approaches, and categorizes various types of photosensitizers along with their recent progress in antimicrobial applications. Furthermore, it highlights recent studies on bacteriophage–photodynamic synergistic therapy systems in treating bacterial infections and discusses their application prospects and future directions in the field of precision antimicrobial therapy.