The role of bacteriophages and CRISPR-Cas in combating multidrug-resistant bacteria

doi:10.1007/s13659-025-00567-y

Abstract

Abstract: The alarming increase of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria presents a serious global health crisis, reducing the effectivenessof traditional antibiotics and requiring alternative therapeutic strategies. Among the most promising innovations are bacteriophages—viruses that specifically infect bacteria—and CRISPR-Cas systems, molecular tools enabling precise genome editing. These technologies individually offer targeted antibacterial activity with minimal disturbance to the host microbiota. When combined, they forma synergistic platform capable of overcoming many limitations of conventional antibiotics, including broad-spectrum activity, resistance development, and limited adaptability. This review examinesmechanisms of bacterial resistance, the biological foundation of bacteriophages and CRISPR-Cas systems, and their application in fighting MDR pathogens. However, significant challenges remain, including delivery barriers, off-target effects, regulatory uncertainty, and public acceptance of gene-editing tools. Antimicrobial resistance now tanks among the top threats to global health, with an estimated burden exceeding one million deaths annually, surpassing many other infectious diseases. The article concludes with a discussion of the clinical prospects of phage-CRISPR therapies and highlights key areas for future research. By merging the specificity of phages with the programmable strength of CRISPR, these biotechnological advances provide a powerful and approach to address the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.

Key words: Bacteria, CRISPR-Cas, Pathogens, Antimicrobial resistance, Infectious diseases

摘要： The alarming increase of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria presents a serious global health crisis, reducing the effectivenessof traditional antibiotics and requiring alternative therapeutic strategies. Among the most promising innovations are bacteriophages—viruses that specifically infect bacteria—and CRISPR-Cas systems, molecular tools enabling precise genome editing. These technologies individually offer targeted antibacterial activity with minimal disturbance to the host microbiota. When combined, they forma synergistic platform capable of overcoming many limitations of conventional antibiotics, including broad-spectrum activity, resistance development, and limited adaptability. This review examinesmechanisms of bacterial resistance, the biological foundation of bacteriophages and CRISPR-Cas systems, and their application in fighting MDR pathogens. However, significant challenges remain, including delivery barriers, off-target effects, regulatory uncertainty, and public acceptance of gene-editing tools. Antimicrobial resistance now tanks among the top threats to global health, with an estimated burden exceeding one million deaths annually, surpassing many other infectious diseases. The article concludes with a discussion of the clinical prospects of phage-CRISPR therapies and highlights key areas for future research. By merging the specificity of phages with the programmable strength of CRISPR, these biotechnological advances provide a powerful and approach to address the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.

关键词: Bacteria, CRISPR-Cas, Pathogens, Antimicrobial resistance, Infectious diseases

Ciamak Ghazaei. The role of bacteriophages and CRISPR-Cas in combating multidrug-resistant bacteria[J]. Natural Products and Bioprospecting, 2026, 16(1): 14-14.

Ciamak Ghazaei. The role of bacteriophages and CRISPR-Cas in combating multidrug-resistant bacteria[J]. 应用天然产物, 2026, 16(1): 14-14.

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