Abstract
Biofilm formation represents a significant cause of concern as it has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality, thereby imposing a huge burden on public healthcare system throughout the world. As biofilms are usually resistant to various conventional antimicrobial interventions, they may result in severe and persistent infections, which necessitates the development of novel therapeutic strategies to combat biofilm-based infections. Physicochemical modification of the biomaterials utilized in medical devices to mitigate initial microbial attachment has been proposed as a promising strategy in combating polymicrobial infections, as the adhesion of microorganisms is typically the first step for the formation of biofilms. For instance, superhydrophobic surfaces have been shown to possess substantial anti-biofilm properties attributed to the presence of nanostructures. In this article, we provide an insight into the mechanisms underlying biofilm formation and their composition, as well as the applications of nanomaterials as superhydrophobic nanocoatings for the development of novel anti-biofilm therapies.
Highlights
Under the protection of a self-produced extracellular polymeric substance, microbial cells within the biofilm can become resistant and tolerant to host immune responses and antimicrobial therapeutics, which makes the treatment of device-associated nosocomial infections notoriously challenging for healthcare professionals
Among the various approaches that have been studied far, superhydrophobic nanocoating is believed to be a promising strategy in preventing the formation of bacterial biofilms by altering the physical properties of biomaterials used in indwelling medical devices
Superhydrophobicity can be fabricated on surfaces by using a vast range of inorganic and organic nanomaterials via various coating techniques
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Recent medical advancements have led to the development of various antimicrobial agents for the treatment of bacterial infections, pathogenic biofilms are often resistant to these agents This may be attributed to the presence of genes for multidrug resistance, as biofilms are an ideal platform for the exchange of plasmids between communities of microbial cells. One strategy is by the inhibition of the initial attachment of microbials to biofilm-forming surfaces through alteration of the physicochemical properties of biomaterials This is due to factors including surface charge, surface hydrophilicity, and biomaterial composition contributing to the rapidly increasing rate of medical device-associated infections [7,8,9]. The potential of superhydrophobic surfaces as a novel anti-biofilm approach superior to those of conventional therapeutics and the advantages of nanomaterials in fabricating superhydrophobic surfaces will be discussed, justified by various studies that are conducted in this field of research
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