Abstract
Biofilms are responsible for more than 80% of all chronic infections and represent an enormous medical challenge. In order to meet this challenge, translation research on anti-biofilm approaches is desperately needed. While biofilm research has grown exponentially over the last three decades and provided important details about the mechanisms involved in initiating, maintaining and disrupting bacterial communities, how much of this basic science knowledge has resulted in new therapeutic approaches? In this perspective article biofilm publications, patents, clinical trials and companies were surveyed to ascertain where we stand in translating biofilm research into new strategies to treat and prevent biofilm-associated infections. Overall, the survey data obtained indicate that anti-biofilm research makes up a very small percentage of the total biofilm literature, and the number of patents and clinical studies for anti-biofilm agents is relatively small. However, the forecast for the future of anti-biofilm therapeutics looks promising. Publications on translational studies are trending up and there are a large number of companies selling products marketed to fight biofilm, indicating that there is a significant commercial interest. Researchers can aid in the translational effort by collaborating with clinicians and industry to design and execute clinically relevant pre-clinical studies, which will result in more agents successfully completing clinical studies and entering the market.
Highlights
Over the last two decades the biofilm field has grown considerably and we have learned a lot about the mechanisms involved in initiating, maintaining and disrupting bacterial communities
Much of this research has extended in to the area of infectious disease as the National Institute of Health has estimated that biofilms are responsible for more than 80% of chronic infections
It is no surprise that the rationale for many mechanistic biofilm studies is that they will provide important information with which we can combat or prevent biofilm infections, but is this surge of basic science resulting in new therapeutic approaches? The goal of this perspective was to ascertain where we stand in translating biofilm research into new strategies to treat and prevent biofilm-associated infections and to discuss how we can improve these efforts
Summary
Over the last two decades the biofilm field has grown considerably and we have learned a lot about the mechanisms involved in initiating, maintaining and disrupting bacterial communities. It is no surprise that the rationale for many mechanistic biofilm studies is that they will provide important information with which we can combat or prevent biofilm infections, but is this surge of basic science resulting in new therapeutic approaches? In order to assess progress in translating biofilm basic science into new products, data from publications, patents, clinical trials and companies was surveyed.
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