Phage Therapy: Targeting the Gut Microbiota for the Treatment of Acute Pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common clinical inflammatory condition whose severity is closely associated with both local pancreatic injury and systemic complications. Research indicates that gut microbiota dysbiosis and subsequent bacterial translocation can exacerbate disease progression via the gut-pancreas axis, representing a critical factor influencing patient outcomes. Although antibiotics remain a primary approach for infection control, their extensive use has led to increasingly prominent issues of bacterial resistance, and their broad-spectrum nature may further disrupt microbial homeostasis. Within this context, phage therapy, by virtue of its high specificity for targeted bacterial elimination, offers a novel approach for precisely modulating the gut microbiota, demonstrating unique therapeutic potential. This review explores the emerging role of phage therapy in regulating the pancreas-gut axis, focusing on mechanisms such as precise pathogen eradication, immunomodulatory effects, and restoration of microbial equilibrium, thus effectively inhibiting the progression of pancreatitis. Finally, we discuss the challenges and future prospects of translating this promising strategy into clinical practice for AP.