Reprogramming the Viral Machine: Structural Exploitation of Bacteriophages for Targeted Nanomedicine

Bacteriophages, having evolved into highly efficient, self-assembling nanomachines for bacterial infection, represent an extraordinary platform for biotechnological innovation.This paper explores the cutting-edge field of repurposing bacteriophage structural components for targeted nanomedicine.We review the modular functional anatomy of complex tailed phages and detail how their inherent properties are being exploited.Specifically, we investigate the engineering of the icosahedral capsid as a robust nanocarrier for diverse therapeutic payloads, the tail assembly as a precise injection system, and critically, the genetic modification of tail fiber proteins to achieve programmable, high-specificity targeting of both pathogenic bacteria and eukaryotic cells (e.g., cancer cells).We discuss the applications of these reprogrammed viral machines in advanced drug delivery, diagnostics, and novel antimicrobial strategies, while also addressing the significant challenges and future directions in translational research.