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Pharmaceutics
Volume 17
Issue 8
10.3390/pharmaceutics17081077
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Review

Latest Advances in Inhalable Dry Powder Bacteriophage Therapy for Pulmonary Infections

by
David Encinas-Basurto
1,2,*,
Patricia Dolores Martinez-Flores
2,
Joselyn García
2,
Marco Antonio Lopez-Mata
3,
Gerardo García-González
4,
Gerardo E. Rodea
5,
Basanth Babu Eedara
6,
Heidi M. Mansour
6 and
Josue Juarez
1,*
1
Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C. Carretera a La Victoria Km. 0.6, Hermosillo 83304, Sonora, Mexico
2
Departamento de Física, Posgrado en Nanotecnología, Unidad Regional Centro, Universidad de Sonora, Hermosillo 83000, Sonora, Mexico
3
Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Sonora, Campus Cajeme, Blvd. Bordo Nuevo S/N, A.P. 85010, Antiguo Ejido Providencia, Ciudad Obregon 85199, Sonora, Mexico
4
Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina Y Hospital Universitario “Dr. José Eleuterio González”, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey 64460, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
5
Laboratorio de Investigación en Microbiología y Resistencia Bacteriana, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Márquez 162 Col. Doctores, Alcaldía Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City 06720, Mexico
6
Center for Translational Science, Florida International University, Port St. Lucie, FL 34987, USA
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Pharmaceutics 2025, 17(8), 1077; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17081077
Submission received: 15 June 2025 / Revised: 3 August 2025 / Accepted: 8 August 2025 / Published: 20 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development and Evaluation of Inhalable Dry Powder Formulations, 2nd Edition)
Versions Notes

Abstract

The concerning increase in respiratory infections that are resistant to multiple drugs has led to a growing interest in bacteriophage therapy as a potential alternative to conventional antibiotics. Effective phage delivery to the lungs, however, presents several formulation and stability issues, particularly for inhalation-based methods. This review highlights current developments in the creation of dry powder formulations that can be inhaled for pulmonary phage therapy, with a focus on encapsulation methods based on nanoparticles, such as solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) and polymer-based nanoparticles. These carriers enhance the aerodynamic characteristics of phages, making them suitable for deep lung deposition, while also protecting them during processing and storage. Several drying methods have been investigated to create powders with optimal morphologies, porosity, and dispersibility, including spray drying and spray freeze drying. The review also emphasizes how the phage morphotype affects stability, especially when nebulization stress is present. Furthermore, the advantages of nanoparticle matrices are confirmed by the reduced viability loss (usually < 0.5 log PFU) of encapsulated phages. Standardizing production processes, scaling up, and ensuring regulatory compliance remain challenging despite encouraging preclinical results. The combination of phage therapy with nanotechnology creates new avenues for the utilization of inhalable delivery methods to treat multidrug-resistant pulmonary infections. To translate these novel formulations from preclinical development to clinical application, sustained multidisciplinary collaboration across pharmaceutical sciences, microbiology, and clinical pharmacology is essential.
Keywords: bacteriophage therapy; inhalable powders; nanoparticles; liposomes; multidrug-resistant pathogens bacteriophage therapy; inhalable powders; nanoparticles; liposomes; multidrug-resistant pathogens

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Encinas-Basurto, D.; Martinez-Flores, P.D.; García, J.; Lopez-Mata, M.A.; García-González, G.; Rodea, G.E.; Eedara, B.B.; Mansour, H.M.; Juarez, J. Latest Advances in Inhalable Dry Powder Bacteriophage Therapy for Pulmonary Infections. Pharmaceutics 2025, 17, 1077. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17081077

AMA Style

Encinas-Basurto D, Martinez-Flores PD, García J, Lopez-Mata MA, García-González G, Rodea GE, Eedara BB, Mansour HM, Juarez J. Latest Advances in Inhalable Dry Powder Bacteriophage Therapy for Pulmonary Infections. Pharmaceutics. 2025; 17(8):1077. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17081077

Chicago/Turabian Style

Encinas-Basurto, David, Patricia Dolores Martinez-Flores, Joselyn García, Marco Antonio Lopez-Mata, Gerardo García-González, Gerardo E. Rodea, Basanth Babu Eedara, Heidi M. Mansour, and Josue Juarez. 2025. "Latest Advances in Inhalable Dry Powder Bacteriophage Therapy for Pulmonary Infections" Pharmaceutics 17, no. 8: 1077. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17081077

APA Style

Encinas-Basurto, D., Martinez-Flores, P. D., García, J., Lopez-Mata, M. A., García-González, G., Rodea, G. E., Eedara, B. B., Mansour, H. M., & Juarez, J. (2025). Latest Advances in Inhalable Dry Powder Bacteriophage Therapy for Pulmonary Infections. Pharmaceutics, 17(8), 1077. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17081077

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