Is phage therapy acceptable in the immunocompromised host?

Over the last decade, bacteriophages (bacterial viruses) have emerged as the major alternative to antibiotics in the treatment of antibiotic-resistant infections. White a considerable body of evidence has accumulated for the efficacy and safety of phage therapy in immunocompetent patients, data remain relatively scarce regarding its use in the immunocompromised host. To our knowledge, the present article is the first to summarize all findings, of both experimental and clinical studies, that may be relevant to the employment of phage therapy in immunocompromised patients. The available data suggest that bacteriophages could also be an efficacious and safe therapeutic modality in such patients. (C) 2008 International Society for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.