Phages – A dual solution to the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Crisis

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as one of the most pressing global health threats of our time, directly causing and contributing to millions of deaths worldwide, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). Beyond the human toll, the economic impact is staggering. By 2050, AMR could add $1 trillion in healthcare costs annually and slash global gross domestic product (GDP) by up to $3.4 trillion per year by 2030. But amidst these daunting figures, a beacon of hope has appeared – bacteriophages (phages).

In an era where AMR poses one of the greatest challenges in modern medicine, phages, viruses that specifically target bacteria, represent a revolutionary alternative to traditional antibiotics. A recent milestone in this field has been Portugal’s approval of customised bacteriophage therapies in hospital settings, setting Portugal to be only the third European country, alongside Belgium and France, to approve until now a guiding regulation for these new therapies (INFARMED, I.P. deliberation No. 112/CD/2024, November 15, 2024) for complex bacterial infections. This decision aligns closely with INL’s cutting-edge research on phages. 

Dr. Sanna Sillankorva, a tenured staff researcher from the Bañobre Research Group at INL has been instrumental in this progress. Her work focuses on isolating and characterising novel phages that target clinically significant AMR bacteria, particularly those that form biofilms – a major barrier in treating persistent infections. “By developing tailored solutions to disrupt biofilm-forming bacteria”, explains Dr.  Sillankorva, “we aim to maximize the therapeutic potential of phages to overcome the challenges in traditional antibiotics”. These efforts underscore INL’s dedication to advancing targeted phage treatments and making a meaningful impact in the global fight against AMR.

While phages are revolutionizing therapies, their role does not end there. They are also becoming invaluable allies in the fight against antimicrobial resistance through cutting-edge diagnostic applications. Dr. Carla Carvalho, INL staff researcher from the former Dr. Paulo Freitas’ Nanodevices Group, now part of the Piteira Research Group, develops advanced devices for detecting antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Her work harnesses the power of phages and their proteins to create innovative ways of detecting harmful bacteria. By coupling these phages with the benefits of microfluidic devices, she is developing fast, affordable, and highly accurate detection platforms. “Phages are invaluable probes for bacterial detection” explains Dr.  Carvalho, “they are inexpensive, exhibit remarkable specificity, and can amplify signals naturally by reproducing inside bacteria, making detection even more sensitive”. One prominent initiative led by Dr. Carvalho is the “Phages-on-Chip” project, funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), in which an optofluidic platform was developed for sepsis diagnosis, using phage receptor-binding proteins as recognition molecules to detect bacteria in blood.

This research highlights INL’s strategic focus on integrating cutting-edge microfluidic and phage-based technologies to revolutionise bacterial detection. By advancing diagnostic tools that deliver rapid, point-of-care results, these efforts enable timely and targeted therapies, playing a critical role in combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and improving patient outcomes worldwide. 

This groundbreaking research underscores INL’s commitment to addressing the AMR crisis, advancing both diagnostic tools and therapeutic approaches. As the world continues to grapple with the growing threat of AMR, these efforts represent a new chapter in modern medicine—one where science and technology lead the charge in saving lives and safeguarding the future of healthcare.

Text by Sanna Sillankorva, Carla Carvalho, Mariam Debs
Photography by Rui Andrade