Phages are common residents in the human microbiome, residing within the human body including the oral cavity, gut, and skin, along with other microorganisms like bacteria, archaea, fungi, and other viruses. Phages have been used in therapeutic applications by altering the microbiome to treat many diseases, such as treating alcoholic liver disease by eliminating the cytolysin-secreting Enterococcus faecalis bacteria and removing Klebsiella pneumoniae by phage cocktail to treat inflammatory bowel disease. As phages are accumulating recognition as regulators of the human microbiome, gut phageome has also been shown to connect to other non-infectious diseases, like type 2 diabetes, and to improve the treatment efficacy of fecal microbiota transplant. Thus, the biology, ecology, and applications of phages in the human microbiome deserve a systemic investigation.
Phages in the microbiomes are poorly investigated compared with their counterparts, like bacteria. Phages in the microbiome should be isolated for biological characterization and subject to genome sequencing. In particular, the phages that target the “unculturable bacteria” which was recently cultivated, should be under the spotlight. Moreover, the metagenomic studies reveal that the phageome is also connected to many other diseases. Thus, the “Omics” approaches are very welcome to be applied to investigate the biological and ecological impact of the phages. Finally, phages can target a specific strain in the microbiome and has great potential in treating many diseases that could attribute to specific bacteria.
This Research Topic is open to any article type that the Phage Biology section permits. The following subtopics are welcome but not limited to:
1 The biological characterization of novel phages isolated from the human microbiome
2 The Omics studies of phages within the microbiome
3 The ecological impact of the lytic or lygoenic phages on the human microbiome
4 The potential applications of the phages in regulating the microbiome or treating diseases
Phages are common residents in the human microbiome, residing within the human body including the oral cavity, gut, and skin, along with other microorganisms like bacteria, archaea, fungi, and other viruses. Phages have been used in therapeutic applications by altering the microbiome to treat many diseases, such as treating alcoholic liver disease by eliminating the cytolysin-secreting Enterococcus faecalis bacteria and removing Klebsiella pneumoniae by phage cocktail to treat inflammatory bowel disease. As phages are accumulating recognition as regulators of the human microbiome, gut phageome has also been shown to connect to other non-infectious diseases, like type 2 diabetes, and to improve the treatment efficacy of fecal microbiota transplant. Thus, the biology, ecology, and applications of phages in the human microbiome deserve a systemic investigation.
Phages in the microbiomes are poorly investigated compared with their counterparts, like bacteria. Phages in the microbiome should be isolated for biological characterization and subject to genome sequencing. In particular, the phages that target the “unculturable bacteria” which was recently cultivated, should be under the spotlight. Moreover, the metagenomic studies reveal that the phageome is also connected to many other diseases. Thus, the “Omics” approaches are very welcome to be applied to investigate the biological and ecological impact of the phages. Finally, phages can target a specific strain in the microbiome and has great potential in treating many diseases that could attribute to specific bacteria.
This Research Topic is open to any article type that the Phage Biology section permits. The following subtopics are welcome but not limited to:
1 The biological characterization of novel phages isolated from the human microbiome
2 The Omics studies of phages within the microbiome
3 The ecological impact of the lytic or lygoenic phages on the human microbiome
4 The potential applications of the phages in regulating the microbiome or treating diseases
