Immune Dynamics in Phage Therapy: From Molecular Interactions to Clinical Perspectives

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About this Research Topic

Submission deadlines

  1. Manuscript Submission Deadline 1 June 2026

  2. This Research Topic is currently accepting articles.

Background

Phage therapy has recently garnered significant attention as an alternative or adjunctive approach to conventional antibiotic treatments, especially against multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. Despite promising clinical outcomes noted in numerous case studies, the successful clinical integration of phage therapy has been hindered by gaps in understanding the complex interactions between phages and the host immune system. Unanswered questions remain regarding how phages modulate innate and adaptive immunity, how immune components influence phage activity and persistence, and what specific molecular mechanisms underpin these dynamic interactions. Moreover, recent studies on the fitness trade-offs associated with phage-resistance have opened new avenues in phage therapy. This approach seeks to attenuate the virulence and immune evasion of pathogenic bacteria, even when phage-resistant variants emerge. Although numerous advances have recently been made, insights into both beneficial and detrimental immune responses during phage therapy are essential for its safe and effective transition into broader medical use.



This Research Topic aims to enhance the understanding of the fundamental molecular mechanisms underpinning phage interactions with host immunity, and to translate these insights into improved therapeutic strategies and safer clinical applications. Key objectives include identifying specific immune pathways triggered during phage therapy, evaluating host immune responses in clinical trials, investigating immunological changes in target pathogenic bacteria induced by phage therapy or phage exposure, and establishing strategies to optimize immunological outcomes in therapeutic settings.



To gather further insights within the context of immune responses to phage therapy, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:



• Molecular mechanisms of phage recognition and immune modulation.

• Host innate and adaptive immune responses elicited by therapeutic phages.

• Interactions between phages and immune effector cells.

• Immunological responses and virulence of phage-resistance variants.

• Influence of immune responses on phage persistence, efficacy, and therapeutic outcome.

• Immunological biomarkers for predicting efficacy and safety of phage interventions.

• Advances and challenges in clinical trials utilizing phage therapy from an immunological perspective.

• Strategies for optimizing immune responses to enhance phage therapy effectiveness.



We invite original research articles, reviews, perspective articles, and clinical case studies that contribute significantly to expanding our knowledge in this critical field.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

  • Brief Research Report
  • Case Report
  • Classification
  • Clinical Trial
  • Editorial
  • FAIR² Data
  • General Commentary
  • Hypothesis and Theory
  • Methods

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Keywords: Bacteriophage (Phage), Phage Therapy, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Microbiota, Synthetic Phage, Clinical Trials, Fitness Trade-Offs, Immunomodulation, Anti-Phage Antibodies

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

Topic editors

Manuscripts can be submitted to this Research Topic via the main journal or any other participating journal.

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