The clinical impact of bacterial biofilms (original) (raw)

International Journal of Oral Science volume 3, pages 55–65 (2011) Cite this article

Abstract

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.

You have full access to this article via your institution.

Similar content being viewed by others

Article PDF

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Microbiology, Rigshospitalet
    Niels Høiby, Helle Krogh Johansen, Zhi‐jun Song, Claus Moser, Peter Østrup Jensen & Thomas Bjarnsholt
  2. Institute for International Health, Medical Microbiology and Immunology,
    Niels Høiby, Oana Ciofu, Michael Givskov, Tim Tolker‐Nielsen & Thomas Bjarnsholt
  3. BioScience and Technology, Biocentrum, Danish Technical University,
    Søren Molin

Authors

  1. Niels Høiby
  2. Oana Ciofu
  3. Helle Krogh Johansen
  4. Zhi‐jun Song
  5. Claus Moser
  6. Peter Østrup Jensen
  7. Søren Molin
  8. Michael Givskov
  9. Tim Tolker‐Nielsen
  10. Thomas Bjarnsholt

Corresponding author

Correspondence toNiels Høiby.

Rights and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Høiby, N., Ciofu, O., Johansen, H. et al. The clinical impact of bacterial biofilms.Int J Oral Sci 3, 55–65 (2011). https://doi.org/10.4248/IJOS11026

Download citation

Keywords

This article is cited by

You have full access to this article via your institution.