Amid the escalating challenges of antibiotic resistance, bacterial infections have emerged as a global threat. Bacteriophages (phages), viral entities capable of selectively infecting bacteria, are gaining momentum as promising alternatives to traditional antibiotics. Their distinctive attributes, including host specificity, inherent self-amplification, and potential synergy with antibiotics, render them compelling candidates. Phage engineering, a burgeoning discipline, involves the strategic modification of bacteriophages to enhance their therapeutic potential and broaden their applications. The integration of CRISPR-Cas systems facilitates precise genetic modifications, enabling phages to serve as carriers of functional genes/proteins, thereby enhancing diagnostics, drug delivery, and therapy. Phage engineering holds promise in transforming precision medicine, addressing antibiotic resistance, and advancing diverse applications. Emphasizing the profound therapeutic potential of phages, this review underscores their pivotal role in combatting bacterial diseases and highlights their significance in the post-antibiotic era.

The utilization of cosmetic raw materials for medicinal purposes in a microneedle patch containing hyaluronic acid (HA) and Lonicerae flos ethanol extract (LEE) has increased based on their eco-friendly characteristics. The moisturizing effects of this microneedle patch were assessed on the forearms of 20 female participants, and our results showed an increase between 29.60% and 88.54% in skin moisture content at the same time points relative to the untreated group. Apart from confirming the safety of HA and Lonicerae flos, our findings may also promote the use of HA and medicinal herbs in relevant industries, indicating their potential as raw ingredients for the development of cosmetic products and topical dermatological drugs. The results suggested that HA, Lonicerae flos, and other combinations of chemical and natural products based on traditional oriental medicine could beneficially affect skin health.