From in vitro to in vivo Models of Bacterial Biofilm-Related Infections

Abstract

The influence of microorganisms growing as sessile communities in a large number of human infections has been extensively studied and recognized for 30–40 years, therefore warranting intense scientific and medical research. Nonetheless, mimicking the biofilm-life style of bacteria and biofilm-related infections has been an arduous task. Models used to study biofilms range from simple in vitro to complex in vivo models of tissues or device-related infections. These different models have progressively contributed to the current knowledge of biofilm physiology within the host context. While far from a complete understanding of the multiple elements controlling the dynamic interactions between the host and biofilms, we are nowadays witnessing the emergence of promising preventive or curative strategies to fight biofilm-related infections. This review undertakes a comprehensive analysis of the literature from a historic perspective commenting on the contribution of the different models and discussing future venues and new approaches that can be merged with more traditional techniques in order to model biofilm-infections and efficiently fight them.

Inhibition of type 1 fimbriae-mediated Escherichia coli adhesion and biofilm formation by trimeric cluster thiomannosides conjugated to diamond nanoparticles

“…Several share clinical characteristics such as chronic inflammation and tissue damage, and are greatly exacerbated when microorganisms grow as biofilms on mucosal surfaces or medical devices. 1,2 Biofilms enable the bacteria residing within them to counter and resist the action of the human immune system and to enhance their tolerance towards antibiotics, leading to infections that are very difficult to eradicate. [3][4][5] The threat of biofilm-related infections has been greatly aggravated with the emergence of multidrug resistant bacteria, a phenomenon that has been compounded in the past decades with the overuse and misuse of antibiotics.…”

The role of bacterial biofilms in the development of chronic pathological processes in the vagina and endometrium

“…Они могут покрывать поверхность клеток макроорганизма, а могут находиться и в слизистом слое, выделяемом клетками [9][10][11][12]. В матрикс биопленки могут быть интегрированы компоненты макроорга-низма, такие как фибрин, иммуноглобулины или тромбоциты [13,14].…”

“…Биопленки могут состоять из одного вида микробов или быть полимикробными, а также содержать грибы [8][9][10]. Известно, что способ-ностью образовывать биопленки обладает бо-лее 90 % видов бактерий.…”

Preventing bacterial adhesion on scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

“…In fact, it has been estimated that 65-80% of bacterial infections treated by clinicians in the developed world are caused by organisms growing on biofilms [4] . A biofilm is a microbial-derived sessile community consisting of prokaryotic cells permanently attached to a substratum one to each other, embedded in a matrix of extracellular polymeric substances that it had produced [2] .…”