Authors
Martin, ClaireLow, Wan Li
Gupta, Abhishek
Amin, Mohd Cairul Iqbal Mohd
Radecka, Iza
Britland, Stephen T
Raj, Prem
Kenward, Ken M A
Issue Date
2015
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Biofilms are formed by the attachment of single or mixed microbial communities to a variety of biological and/or synthetic surfaces. Biofilm micro-organisms benefit from many advantages of the polymicrobial environment including increased resistance against antimicrobials and protection against the host organism's defence mechanisms. These benefits stem from a number of structural and physiological differences between planktonic and biofilm-resident microbes, but two main factors are the presence of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and quorum sensing communication. Once formed, biofilms begin to synthesise EPS, a complex viscous matrix composed of a variety of macromolecules including proteins, lipids and polysaccharides. In terms of drug delivery strategies, it is the EPS that presents the greatest barrier to diffusion for drug delivery systems and free antimicrobial agents alike. In addition to EPS synthesis, biofilm-based micro-organisms can also produce small, diffusible signalling molecules involved in cell density-dependent intercellular communication, or quorum sensing. Not only does quorum sensing allow microbes to detect critical cell density numbers, but it also permits co-ordinated behaviour within the biofilm, such as iron chelation and defensive antibiotic activities. Against this backdrop of microbial defence and cell density-specific communication, a variety of drug delivery systems have been developed to deliver antimicrobial agents and antibiotics to extracellular and/or intracellular targets, or more recently, to interfere with the specific mechanisms of quorum sensing. Successful delivery strategies have employed lipidic and polymeric-based formulations such as liposomes and cyclodextrins respectively, in addition to inorganic carriers e.g. metal nanoparticles. This review will examine a range of drug delivery systems and their application to biofilm delivery, as well as pharmaceutical formulations with innate antimicrobial properties such as silver nanoparticles and microemulsions.Citation
Strategies for antimicrobial drug delivery to biofilm. 2015, 21 (1):43-66 Curr. Pharm. Des.Journal
Current pharmaceutical designPubMed ID
25189862Type
Journal articleLanguage
enISSN
1873-4286Sponsors
University of Wolverhampton, UK ; Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia.Collections
Related articles
- Antimicrobial and anti-Quorum Sensing activities of selected medicinal plants of Ethiopia: Implication for development of potent antimicrobial agents.
- Authors: Bacha K, Tariku Y, Gebreyesus F, Zerihun S, Mohammed A, Weiland-Bräuer N, Schmitz RA, Mulat M
- Issue date: 2016 Jul 11
- aBiofilm: a resource of anti-biofilm agents and their potential implications in targeting antibiotic drug resistance.
- Authors: Rajput A, Thakur A, Sharma S, Kumar M
- Issue date: 2018 Jan 4
- Prevention of microbial biofilms - the contribution of micro and nanostructured materials.
- Authors: Grumezescu AM, Chifiriuc CM
- Issue date: 2014
- A mathematical model of quorum sensing regulated EPS production in biofilm communities.
- Authors: Frederick MR, Kuttler C, Hense BA, Eberl HJ
- Issue date: 2011 Apr 10
- Escherichia coli biofilm: development and therapeutic strategies.
- Authors: Sharma G, Sharma S, Sharma P, Chandola D, Dang S, Gupta S, Gabrani R
- Issue date: 2016 Aug