Biofilm
A biofilm is any group of microorganisms in which cells stick to each other and often these cells adhere to a surface. These adherent cells are frequently embedded within a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS).
Do antibiotic-induced biofilms cause device infections?
Surface-attached colonies of bacteria known as biofilms play a major role in the pathogenesis of device-related infections. Biofilm colonies are notorious for their resistance to suprainhibitory concentrations of antibiotics. Numerous studies have shown that subminimal inhibitory concentrations of s … Antibiotic-induced biofilm formation
What is biofilm and how to treat it?
Bacterial biofilms are characterized as highly resistant to antibiotic treatment and immune responses. 7 Although it is well known that antibiotic treatment is currently most important and effective measure for the control of microbial infections, however, antibiotic treatments are almost impossible to eradicate biofilm infections.
What are the types of biofilm-related infections?
Biofilm-related infections can be broadly divided into two types. The biofilms may be formed on the abiotic surfaces, especially infections associated with indwelling medical devices [ 34] and native biofilm infections of host tissue [ 21 ].
What causes biofilms to form?
The biofilms may be formed on the abiotic surfaces, especially infections associated with indwelling medical devices [ 34] and native biofilm infections of host tissue [ 21 ].
How do biofilms affect antibiotics?
Bacterial biofilms cause chronic infections because they show increased tolerance to antibiotics and disinfectant chemicals as well as resisting phagocytosis and other components of the body's defence system.
How does biofilm formation impact antibiotic resistance?
By forming a biofilm, bacteria protect themselves from host defense, disinfectants, and antibiotics. Bacteria inside biofilm are much more resistant to antimicrobial agents than planktonic forms since bacteria that are unresisting to antimicrobial agents in any way can turn resistant after forming a biofilm.
Does biofilm protect bacteria from antibiotics?
Biofilms are common both in nature and in association with host organisms. They protect bacteria from external threats including protozoan grazing (Matz et al., 2005) and antibiotic exposure (Penesyan et al., 2015). Biofilm communities are important for ecosystems.
How do biofilms cause infection?
In addition to the protection offered by the matrix, bacteria in biofilms can employ several survival strategies to evade the host defense systems. By staying dormant and hidden from the immune system, they may cause local tissue damage and later cause an acute infection.
How does antibiotic resistance affect biofilm communities?
Bacterial antibiotic resistance is also one of the consequences of the bacterial biofilm communities which contribute to the chronic infections. These biofilm communities have few additional resistance mechanisms as compared to the planktonic ones which hamper the treatments option and leads to emergence as well as spreading of the chronic bad bugs. Emergence and spreading of multidrug resistant, extremely drug resistant and total drug resistant strains of M. tuberculosis have worsened the current situation across the globe. In this timeline review we have discussed the mechanisms of antibiotics resistance in biofilms communities and alternative therapeutic options to combat the resistance mediated by chronic bacterial biofilm infections. Alternative approaches, like nanoparticles based antibiotics formulation, novel anti-biofilm agents, CRISPRi gene editing technologies and photodynamic therapy might be the future options to treat the infections caused by multidrug resistant, extremely drug resistant and total drug resistant strains of M.tuberculosis which might be one of the ways to achieve the goal of TB free world declared by WHO.
How do biofilms develop?
It starts with the initial adherence of bacteria to the substratum and irreversible attachment followed by their colonization in which modification in genes/proteins expression occurs followed by exponential growth phase.
What is biofilm protection?
Biofilms provides the protection to the microorganism not only from altered pH, osmolarity, nutrients scarcity, mechanical and shear forces
What is biofilm made of?
These cells are embedded in extracellular polymeric substances, a matrix which is generally composed of eDNA, proteins and polysaccharides, showed high resistance to antibiotics.
Why are biofilms dangerous?
Biofilms pose a threat to the human race because of their persistent nature and plays a major role in certain pathogenic infections [ 40, 58, 104, 120 ]. Studies suggested that role of EPS have been conferring tolerance to aminoglycosides [ 41, 61 ].
What is the role of multicellularity in biofilm?
Multicellularity nature of biofilm bacterial communities is responsible for antibiotics resistance ; if we can disrupt any step in the formation of multicellular structure of the biofilm than antibiotics efficacy as well as the host defences might be increased which leads to quick treatment of this persistent infection.
What are the compatible conditions for the horizontal gene transfer?
Biofilms provides the compatible conditions for the horizontal gene transfer such as high cell density, increased genetic competence and accumulation of genetic elements or uptake of resistance genes [ 41 ].
What is the development of biofilms?
The development of a biofilm includes attachment of cells to a surface, multiplication, maturation, and production of a polymeric matrix, and finally microbial detachment and colonization of new surfaces. The heterogeneity of biofilms results in increased tolerance to antimicrobials due to the inherent physical and chemical barriers.
What is the process of biofilm formation?
Biofilm formation is a complex process and it involves adhesion, growth, proliferation, inhibition, cell–cell communication, and so on. Reports have shown that more than 100 genes/proteins are involved in biofilm formation [115].
What are the parameters that determine biofilm formation?
Biofilm formation also depend upon different physicochemical parameters, which include pH, temperature, substrate, and ion concentration, etc. This is due to both bacterial and material surfaces being influenced by their surrounding environmental conditions [20].
How does biofilm form?
Biofilm formation begins with the adhesion of bacteria onto the electrode surface, followed by the coadhesion and proliferation of microbial cells by the formation of multilayer cell clusters.
Why is biofilm important?
Biofilm formation is an important survival strategy that bacteria utilize in natural and human-made niches. The detection of adherence of pathogenic bacteria on medical surfaces is necessary to identify and prevent systemic infections related to biofilm-forming bacteria.
What is biofilm?
Biofilm formation is an important biological concept in environmental microbiology, wherein the microbial cells adapt to multicellular lifestyle by formation of biofilm during which the bacterial cells are self-immobilized in extracellular polymeric matrix. This chapter provides an insight into the concept of biofilm formation by microorganisms ...
What is biofouling in biology?
Biofouling is the colonization of submerged surfaces by microorganisms such as bacteria and has destructive effects on artificial devices used in different fields ( Varin et al., 2013; Yoon et al., 2013 ).
What is biofilm in biology?
Formation of biofilm is a survival strategy for bacteria and fungi to adapt to their living environment, especially in the hostile environment. Under the protection of biofilm, microbial cells in biofilm become tolerant and resistant to antibiotics and the immune responses, which increases the difficulties for the clinical treatment ...
Where is biofilm found?
Bacterial biofilm formation is widely found in natural environments with water, and also in human diseases, especially in the patients with indwelling devices for the purpose of medical treatments.2,7With the progress of medical sciences, more and more medical devices and/or artificial organs are applied in the treatment of human diseases.
What are the amyloids in bacteria?
Beside of the focus on QS and c-di-GMP, bacterial amyloids have become another popular topic. Amyloids has been identified in both bacteria and fungi, since many types of bacterial species relay on amyloids to stick to each other or further to host surfaces resulting in the creation of biofilms.
Can antibiotics eradicate biofilm?
According to the biofilm characters of antibiotic resistance, it is currently difficult to eradicate biofilm infections by conventional antibiotic treatments. Therefore, the removal of a foreign body becomes an important prerequisite for the eradication of such biofilm infections.
Is an abscess a biofilm?
Abscesses are not biofilm, but they have some kinds of connections with biofilm.45When an abscess is formed, it becomes difficult for antibiotic to penetrate through the wall of abscess into the focus. Therefore empty of abscess is necessary. Early and aggressive antibiotic treatments against biofilm infections.
Can infection cause acidosis?
It is well known that infection could lead to inflammation, which results in faster metabolism and significant consumption of oxygen locally or systemically. If oxygen supply could not meet the demand, glycolysis will be activated leading to acidosis, and the effects of antibiotics could be affected by pH values.
Can antibiotics kill a foreign body?
If not involving a foreign body, long-term treatment with high doses and often using combination of antibiotics with different killing mechanisms can sometimes eliminate the infection. However, if a foreign body is involved, removal of the material is in most cases necessary for a successful outcome.