What are the advantages of living in a community? A microbial biofilm perspective

• Published in: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz Vol. 113; no. 9; p. e180212
• Main Authors: Santos, André Luis Souza Dos, Galdino, Anna Clara Milesi, Mello, Thaís Pereira de, Ramos, Lívia de Souza, Branquinha, Marta Helena, Bolognese, Ana Maria, Columbano Neto, José, Roudbary, Maryam
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde 26-07-2018; Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ)
• Subjects: anti-biofilm strategies; biofilm; microbial lifestyle; PARASITOLOGY; resistance; Review; tolerance; TROPICAL MEDICINE; virulence; anti-biofilm strategies; microbial lifestyle; virulence; resistance; tolerance; biofilm
• ISSN: 0074-0276; 1678-8060; 1678-8060
• DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760180212

Biofilm formation is the preferred mode of growth lifestyle for many microorganisms, including bacterial and fungal human pathogens. Biofilm is a strong and dynamic structure that confers a broad range of advantages to its members, such as adhesion/cohesion capabilities, mechanical properties, nutritional sources, metabolite exchange platform, cellular communication, protection and resistance to drugs (e.g., antimicrobials, antiseptics, and disinfectants), environmental stresses (e.g., dehydration and ultraviolet light), host immune attacks (e.g., antibodies, complement system, antimicrobial peptides, and phagocytes), and shear forces. Microbial biofilms cause problems in the hospital environment, generating high healthcare costs and prolonged patient stay, which can result in further secondary microbial infections and various health complications. Consequently, both public and private investments must be made to ensure better patient management, as well as to find novel therapeutic strategies to circumvent the resistance and resilience profiles arising from biofilm-associated microbial infections. In this work, we present a general overview of microbial biofilm formation and its relevance within the biomedical context.