Abstract
Microbes are hardly seen as planktonic species and are most commonly found as biofilm communities in cases of chronic infections. Biofilms are regarded as a biological condition, where a large group of microorganisms gets adhered to a biotic or abiotic surface. In this context, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Gram-negative nosocomial pathogen is the main causative organism responsible for life-threatening and persistent infections in individuals affected with cystic fibrosis and other lung ailments. The bacteria can form a strong biofilm structure when it adheres to a surface suitable for the development of a biofilm matrix. These bacterial biofilms pose higher natural resistance to conventional antibiotic therapy due to their multiple tolerance mechanisms. This prevailing condition has led to an increasing rate of treatment failures associated with P. aeruginosa biofilm infections. A better understanding of the effect of a diverse group of antibiotics on established biofilms would be necessary to avoid inappropriate treatment strategies. Hence, the search for other alternative strategies as effective biofilm treatment options has become a growing area of research. The current review aims to give an overview of the mechanisms governing biofilm formation and the different strategies employed so far in the control of biofilm infections caused by P. aeruginosa. Moreover, this review can also help researchers to search for new antibiofilm agents to tackle the effect of biofilm infections that are currently imprudent to conventional antibiotics.
Highlights
Microorganisms exist either as free-floating cells or enclosed within an architectural structure known as biofilms [1]
The most studied organism related to quorum sensing (QS) and biofilms is the Gramnegative bacterium P. aeruginosa as it is one of the most virulent opportunistic pathogens, which leads to a variety of acute infections and continues to possess a high rate of mortality and antibiotic failure [29]
Though S. aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci are associated with the majority of implantable device-related infections, P. aeruginosa can readily adapt itself to harsh environments and antibiotics instantly, making it a suitable in vitro model for studying biofilm formation [51]
Summary
Microorganisms exist either as free-floating cells or enclosed within an architectural structure known as biofilms [1]. The presence of biofilms on man-made surfaces imparts its significance in connection to pathogenicity, whereas biofilm formation in undesirable places may lead to medical and industrial complications as they show resistance to cellular immunity in the host, antimicrobial, and biocide treatments [1]. Even after more than 70 years since the first report on biofilms [26], still there is a need in various areas such as biomedical and environmental fields related to the problems encountered by biofilms [27,28] In such a case, the most studied organism related to QS and biofilms is the Gramnegative bacterium P. aeruginosa as it is one of the most virulent opportunistic pathogens, which leads to a variety of acute infections and continues to possess a high rate of mortality and antibiotic failure [29]. Focusing on the potent treatment strategies to prevent P. aeruginosa associated biofilm infections is the present area of concern
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