Skin Dysbiosis in Atopic Dogs: Is Phage Therapy an Alternative to Antibiotics?

Abstract

Bacterial overgrowth, also known as dysbiosis, is a common concomitant of canine atopic dermatitis. Microbial diversity is decreased and coagulase-positive staphylococci are more abundant in dogs with canine atopic dermatitis compared to healthy dogs. Antimicrobial therapy restores the diversity of the skin microbiome; however, this effect can diminish after treatment is discontinued. Therapies for skin dysbiosis have traditionally included antibiotics and antiseptic medications. Due to increasing microbial resistance to antibiotics, the era of novel antimicrobial agents for the treatment of skin infections has already begun. Recent research highlights potential new treatment options, of which one of the most promising appears to be the use of bacteriophages. Bacteriophages are viruses that can infect and kill bacteria without having negative effects on human or animal cells. This article provides an update on human and veterinary research on phage therapy as a potential approach for the treatment of bacterial infections, with a focus on the treatment of skin dysbiosis in atopic dogs. The clear clinical potential of phage therapy, its advantages and disadvantages, and the legal, biological, technical, and economic challenges it faces for its further implementation and wider application are outlined.

Rediscovering Phage Therapy: Promising Approach for Combating Antimicrobial Resistance

“…Čeprav se v živinoreji porabi do 80 % celotne porabe protibakterijskih učinkovin, se okužbe domačih živali večinoma zdravijo genes of clinical importance to humans (4)(5)(6). As outlined in the review article, published in this issue, canine skin infections are a frequent complication in small animal medicine, where the prevalence of antimicrobialresistant bacteria is increasing, necessitating additional treatment approaches such as vaccines and phage therapy (7).…”

“…Posledično postajajo hišni ljubljenčki rezervoarji za zoonotske bakterijske vrste, ki prenašajo gene za odpornost, ki so klinično pomembni za ljudi (4)(5)(6). Kot je poudarjeno v preglednem članku, objavljenem v tej izdaji, so pasje okužbe kože pogost zaplet v medicini malih živali, kjer narašča razširjenost odpornih bakterij, zaradi česar so za zdravljenje potrebni dodatni pristopi, kot so cepiva in fagna terapija (7).…”