In living organisms, biofilms are defined as complex communities of bacteria residing within an exopolysaccharide matrix that adheres to a surface. In the clinic, they are typically the cause of chronic, nosocomial, and medical device-related infections. Due to the antibiotic-resistant nature of biofilms, the use of antibiotics alone is ineffective for treating biofilm-related infections. In this review, we present a brief overview of concepts of bacterial biofilm formation, and current state-of-the-art therapeutic approaches for preventing and treating biofilms. Also, we have reviewed the prevalence of such infections on medical devices and discussed the future challenges that need to be overcome in order to successfully treat biofilms using the novel technologies being developed.
A novel
strategy is needed for treating nonhealing wounds, which
is able to simultaneously eradicate pathogenic bacteria and promote
tissue regeneration. This would improve patient outcome and reduce
the number of lower limb amputations. In this work, we present a multifunctional
therapeutic approach able to control bacterial infections, provide
a protective barrier to a full-thickness wound, and improve wound
healing in a clinically relevant animal model. Our approach uses a
nanoengineered antimicrobial nanoparticle for creating a sprayable
layer onto the wound bed that prevents bacterial proliferation and
also eradicates preformed biofilms. As a protective barrier for the
wound, we developed a thermoresponsive collagen-based matrix that
has prohealing properties and is able to fill wounds independent of
their geometries. Our results indicate that using a combination of
the matrix with full-thickness microscopic skin tissue columns synergistically
contributed to faster and superior skin regeneration in a nonhealing
wound model in diabetic mice.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.