Promising Therapeutic Strategies Against Microbial Biofilm Challenges

Abstract

Biofilms are communities of microorganisms that are attached to a biological or abiotic surface and are surrounded by a self-produced extracellular matrix. Cells within a biofilm have intrinsic characteristics that are different from those of planktonic cells. Biofilm resistance to antimicrobial agents has drawn increasing attention. It is well-known that medical device- and tissue-associated biofilms may be the leading cause for the failure of antibiotic treatments and can cause many chronic infections. The eradication of biofilms is very challenging. Many researchers are working to address biofilm-related infections, and some novel strategies have been developed and identified as being effective and promising. Nevertheless, more preclinical studies and well-designed multicenter clinical trials are critically needed to evaluate the prospects of these strategies. Here, we review information about the mechanisms underlying the drug resistance of biofilms and discuss recent progress in alternative therapies and promising strategies against microbial biofilms. We also summarize the strengths and weaknesses of these strategies in detail.

Keywords: antibiotic resistance; antimicrobial peptides; biofilm; combination therapies; nanotechnology.