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Review
. 2024 May 17;13(5):424.
doi: 10.3390/pathogens13050424.

Phage Therapy for Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices and Vascular Grafts: A Targeted Literature Review

Matteo Passerini  1   2   3 , Francesco Petri  2   4 , Gina A Suh  3   4
Affiliations
Review

Phage Therapy for Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices and Vascular Grafts: A Targeted Literature Review

Matteo Passerini et al. Pathogens. .

Abstract

Infections of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) and vascular grafts are some of the most dreaded complications of these otherwise life-saving devices. Many of these infections are not responsive to conventional treatment, such as systemic antibiotics and surgical irrigation and debridement. Therefore, innovative strategies to prevent and manage these conditions are warranted. Among these, there is an increasing interest in phages as a therapeutical option. In this review, we aim to collect the available evidence for the clinical application of phage therapy for CIED and vascular graft infections through literature research. We found 17 studies for a total of 34 patients. Most of the indications were left ventricular assist device (LVAD) (n = 20) and vascular graft infections (n = 7). The bacteria most often encountered were Staphylococcus aureus (n = 18) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 16). Clinical improvements were observed in 21/34 (61.8%) patients, with microbiological eradication in 18/21 (85.7%) of them. In eight cases, an adverse event related to phage therapy was reported. Phage therapy is a promising option for difficult-to-treat CIED and vascular graft infections by means of an individualized approach. Clinical trials and expanded access programs for compassionate use are needed to further unveil the role of phage therapy in clinical application.

Keywords: LVAD infections; bacteriophage; cardiac device infections; phage; phage therapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

G.S. declares a financial agreement with Precisio Biotix Therapeutics, Inc. (unrelated to this work) and an unpaid advisory role for Phiogen. M.P. and F.P. declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Results of the PubMed search resulting in the inclusion of 17 studies.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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