The clinical impact of bacterial biofilms

作     者：Niels Hoiby Oana Ciofu Helle Krogh Johansen Zhi-jun Song Claus Moser Peter Ostrup Jenser Soren Molin Michael Givskov Tim Tolker-Nieisen Thomas Bjamsholt 

作者机构：Department of Clinical Microbiology Rigshospitalet Institute for International Health Medical Microbiology and Immunology BloScience and Technology Biocentrum Danish Technical University 

出 版 物：《International Journal of Oral Science》 (国际口腔科学杂志（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2011年第3卷第2期

页      面：55-65页

核心收录：

学科分类：090603[农学-临床兽医学] 1003[医学-口腔医学] 08[工学] 09[农学] 0906[农学-兽医学] 080502[工学-材料学] 0805[工学-材料科学与工程（可授工学、理学学位）] 

主　　题：bacterial biofilm biofilm infection antibiotic resistance quorum sensing 

摘      要：Bacteria survive in nature by forming biofilms on surfaces and probably most, if not all, bacteria （and fungi） are capable of forming biofilms. A biofilm is a structured consortium of bacteria embedded in a self-produced polymer matrix consisting of polysaccharide, protein and extracellular DNA. Bacterial biofilms are resistant to antibiotics, disinfectant chemicals and to phagocytosis and other components of the innate and adaptive inflammatory defense system of the body. It is known, for example, that persistence of staphylococcal infections related to foreign bodies is due to biofilm formation. Likewise, chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients are caused by biofilm growing mucoid strains. Gradients of nutrients and oxygen exist from the top to the bottom of biofilms and the bacterial cells located in nutrient poor areas have decreased metabolic activity and increased doubling times. These more or less dormant cells are therefore responsible for some of the tolerance to antibiotics. Biofilm growth is associated with an increased level of mutations. Bacteria in biofilms communicate by means of molecules, which activates certain genes responsible for production of virulence factors and, to some extent, biofilm structure. This phenomenon is called quorum sensing and depends upon the concentration of the quorum sensing molecules in a certain niche, which depends on the number of the bacteria. Biofilms can be prevented by antibiotic prophylaxis or early aggressive antibiotic therapy and they can be treated by chronic suppressive antibiotic therapy. Promising strategies may include the use of compounds which can dissolve the biofilm matrix and quorum sensing inhibitors, which increases biofilm susceptibility to antibiotics and phagocytosis.