Phage Therapeutics for Multidrug-Resistant Klebsiella Pneumoniae: Molecular Mechanisms, Emerging Strategies, And Clinical Perspectives

Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) is a growing global public health concern because of its increasing resistance to multiple antibiotics, including last-resort drugs. This crisis stems from antibiotic resistance, where K. pneumoniae strains have become resistant to extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs), carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP), and colistin. The WHO Health Organization lists carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae as a critical priority pathogen for research and drug development. This crisis has spread globally, causing difficult-to-treat outbreaks, especially in immunocompromised and critically ill patients. The impact on healthcare includes increased mortality and morbidity, longer hospital stays, higher healthcare costs, and limited treatment options. Phage therapy, a method of using bacteriophages to target and destroy bacterial pathogens without harming human cells or beneficial microbiota, is gaining attention in the context of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). It is effective against multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, such as K. pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii, particularly against carbapenem-resistant strains where antibiotics fail. Phage therapy can be customized for individual patients by isolating phages that specifically target infecting strains. Phage therapy offers immense potential in addressing the multidrug resistance crisis, particularly as an alternative treatment for MDR infections, in combination with existing antibiotics, and in preventive applications in healthcare.