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Review
. 2025 Jan 6;5(1):100189.
doi: 10.1016/j.engmic.2025.100189. eCollection 2025 Mar.

Applications of bacteriophages in precision engineering of the human gut microbiome

Xiaoxian Kuang  1   2 , Juntao Shen  2 , Linggang Zheng  2   3 , Yi Duan  4 , Yingfei Ma  2 , Elaine Lai-Han Leung  1 , Lei Dai  2   5
Affiliations
Review

Applications of bacteriophages in precision engineering of the human gut microbiome

Xiaoxian Kuang et al. Eng Microbiol. .

Abstract

As our understanding of the role of the gut microbiome in human diseases deepens, precision engineering of the gut microbiome using bacteriophages has gained significant attention. Herein, we review the recent advances in bacteriophage-mediated modulation of the gut microbiome, discuss approaches at the ecological and genetic levels, and summarize the challenges and strategies pertinent to each level of intervention. Drawing on the structural attributes of bacteriophages in the context of precision engineering, we examined the latest developments in the field of phage administration. Gaining a nuanced understanding of microbiome manipulation will yield tailored strategies and technologies. This could revolutionize the prevention and treatment of diseases linked to gut pathogens and offer new avenues for the therapeutic use of bacteriophages.

Keywords: Bacteriophages; Human gut microbiome; Microbiome engineering.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Image, graphical abstract
Graphical abstract
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Timeline of phage-based engineering of the gut microbiome [1,[17], [18], [19], [20], [21], [22], [23], [24], [25],[25], [26], [27], [28], [29], [30]].
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Phage-based ecological and genetic engineering of the gut microbiome. (A) Background of precision engineering of gut microbes. (B) Workflow of phage isolation and characterization. (C) Precision engineering at the ecological level. (D) Precision engineering at the genetic level.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Delivery of phages to the gastrointestinal environment. (A) Background on phage administration [133]. (B) Modification of phages. (C) Selection of encapsulation materials. (D) Determination of delivery carriers. (E) Temporal modification of the environment.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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