Bacterial biofilms: a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge

Authors: Fux, Christoph A; Stoodley, Paul; Hall-Stoodley, Luanne; Costerton, J William

Source: Expert Review of Anti-Infective Therapy, Volume 1, Number 4, December 2003 , pp. 667-683(17)

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Abstract:

Bacteria have traditionally been regarded as individual organisms growing in homogeneous planktonic populations. However, bacteria in natural environments usually form communities of surface-adherent organisms embedded in an extracellular matrix, called biofilms. Current antimicrobial strategies often fail to control bacteria in the biofilm mode of growth. Treatment failure is particularly frequent in association with intracorporeal or transcutaneous medical devices and compromised host immunity. The rising prevalence of these risk factors over the last decades has paralleled the increase in biofilm infections. This review discusses the shortcomings of current therapies against biofilms both in theory and with clinical examples. Biofilm characteristics are described with a focus on new diagnostic and therapeutic targets.

Keywords: antibiotic resistance; biofilm; human disease; gene expression; metabolic activity; protein expression; quorum sensing; shear forces

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1586/14787210.1.4.667

Publication date: 2003-12-01

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Expert Review of Anti-infective Therapy provides expert reviews on therapeutics and diagnostics in the treatment of infectious disease. Coverage includes antibiotics, drug resistance, drug therapy, infectious disease medicine, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antifungal and antiviral approaches, and diagnostic tests.
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