Novel treatment dynamics for biofilm-related infections

• Published in: Expert review of anti-infective therapy Vol. 19; no. 11; p. 1443
• Main Author: Del Pozo, Jose L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 02-11-2021
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Anti-Infective Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Infective Agents - therapeutic use; Biofilms; Humans; coatings; antibiofilm; recalcitrance; photodynamic therapy; quorum quenching; persister; phages; Biofilm disease; biofilm dispersal; bioelectric effect
• ISSN: 1744-8336
• DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2021.1917993

: As a result of progress in medical care, a huge number of medical devices are used in the treatment of human diseases. In turn, biofilm-related infection has become a growing threat due to the tolerance of biofilms to antimicrobials, a problem magnified by the development of antimicrobial resistance worldwide. As a result, successful treatment of biofilm-disease using only antimicrobials is problematic.
: We summarize some alternative approaches to classic antimicrobials for the treatment of biofilm disease. This review is not intended to be exhaustive but to give a clinical picture of alternatives to antimicrobial agents to manage biofilm disease. We highlight those strategies that may be closer to application in clinical practice.
: There are a number of outstanding challenges in the development of novel antibiofilm therapies. Screening for effective antibiofilm compounds requires models relevant to all clinical scenarios. Although in vitro research of anti-biofilm strategies has progressed significantly over the past decade, there is a lack of in vivo research. In addition, the complexity of biofilm biology makes it difficult to develop a compound that is likely to provide the single 'magic bullet'. The multifaceted nature of biofilms imposes the need for multi-targeted or combinatorial therapies.