TY - JOUR T1 - Phage therapy for pulmonary infections: lessons from clinical experiences and key considerations JF - European Respiratory Review JO - EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY REVIEW DO - 10.1183/16000617.0121-2022 VL - 31 IS - 166 SP - 220121 AU - Georgia Mitropoulou AU - Angela Koutsokera AU - Chantal Csajka AU - Sylvain Blanchon AU - Alain Sauty AU - Jean-Francois Brunet AU - Christophe von Garnier AU - Grégory Resch AU - Benoit Guery Y1 - 2022/12/31 UR - http://err.ersjournals.com/content/31/166/220121.abstract N2 - Lower respiratory tract infections lead to significant morbidity and mortality. They are increasingly caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens, notably in individuals with cystic fibrosis, hospital-acquired pneumonia and lung transplantation. The use of bacteriophages (phages) to treat bacterial infections is gaining growing attention, with numerous published cases of compassionate treatment over the last few years. Although the use of phages appears safe, the lack of standardisation, the significant heterogeneity of published studies and the paucity of robust efficacy data, alongside regulatory hurdles arising from the existing pharmaceutical legislation, are just some of the challenges phage therapy has to overcome. In this review, we discuss the lessons learned from recent clinical experiences of phage therapy for the treatment of pulmonary infections. We review the key aspects, opportunities and challenges of phage therapy regarding formulations and administration routes, interactions with antibiotics and the immune system, and phage resistance. Building upon the current knowledge base, future pre-clinical studies using emerging technologies and carefully designed clinical trials are expected to enhance our understanding and explore the therapeutic potential of phage therapy.Can phage therapy address the growing challenges posed by the crisis of antimicrobial resistance? Lessons learned from recent clinical experiences and a review of key aspects, opportunities and challenges of phage therapy for pulmonary infections. https://bit.ly/3vKLimb ER -