Recent Advances in the Control of Clinically Important Biofilms

Abstract

Biofilms are complex structures formed by bacteria, fungi, or even viruses on biotic and abiotic surfaces, and they can be found in almost any part of the human body. The prevalence of biofilm-associated diseases has increased in recent years, mainly because of the frequent use of indwelling medical devices that create opportunities for clinically important bacteria and fungi to form biofilms either on the device or on the neighboring tissues. As a result of their resistance to antibiotics and host immunity factors, biofilms have been associated with the development or persistence of several clinically important diseases. The inability to completely eradicate biofilms drastically increases the burden of disease on both the patient and the healthcare system. Therefore, it is crucial to develop innovative ways to tackle the growth and development of biofilms. This review focuses on dental- and implant-associated biofilm infections, their prevalence in humans, and potential therapeutic intervention strategies, including the recent advances in pharmacology and biomedical engineering. It lists current strategies used to control the formation of clinically important biofilms, including novel antibiotics and their carriers, antiseptics and disinfectants, small molecule anti-biofilm agents, surface treatment strategies, and nanostructure functionalization, as well as multifunctional coatings particularly suitable for providing antibacterial effects to the surface of implants, to treat either dental- or implant-related bacterial infections.

Antimicrobial peptides originating from expression libraries ofAurelia auritaandMnemiopsis leidyiprevent biofilm formation of opportunistic pathogens

“…The majority showed promising biofilm preventing activities against Gram-negative and Gram-positive opportunistic pathogens and, thus, can serve as starting point to develop efficient and effective antibiofilm agents. Combating bacterial infections caused by biofilm-forming bacteria is a difficult task and a major challenge for healthcare systems and aquaculture [45,46]. AMPs have enormous potential as antibiofilm agents by harboring broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, a low risk of fast-developing bacterial resistance, and can work synergistically with antibiotics [47].…”

Emerging Approaches for Mitigating Biofilm-Formation-Associated Infections in Farm, Wild, and Companion Animals

“…Bacteria within biofilms are partially shielded from mechanical and shear stresses as well as environmental variables including altered pH, osmolarity, high pressure, excessive temperature, and nutrient starvation. In addition, the biofilm structure protects bacteria from external environmental conditions, antibiotics, disinfectants, and the host immune system [ 10 ]…”

“…Biofilm cells can exhibit physiological heterogeneity, including the persister cells and the viable but non-cultivable cells [ 11 ]. Microbial biofilms pose a therapeutic challenge, leading to persistent infections that are difficult to treat with traditional antibiotics [ 10 ].…”

Horizontal Gene Transfer of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Biofilms

“…According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 60% of nosocomial infections and up to 80% of microbial infections are due to biofilms [55]. In the last few years, the spread of biofilms on medical implants and devices in clinical settings was the subject of many studies and has been frequently reviewed [56][57][58][59]. Medical devices can be reservoirs for multidrug-resistant, biofilm-producing strains [39,60,61].…”