Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Infections: Community Structure, Antimicrobial Tolerance and Immune Response

• Published in: Journal of molecular biology Vol. 427; no. 23; pp. 3628 - 3645
• Main Authors: Rybtke, Morten, Hultqvist, Louise Dahl, Givskov, Michael, Tolker-Nielsen, Tim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 20.11.2015
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; antimicrobial tolerance; biofilm; Biofilms - drug effects; Chronic Disease; Cystic Fibrosis - microbiology; Extracellular Matrix - chemistry; Foreign Bodies - microbiology; Humans; Immune Evasion; Male; Otitis Media - microbiology; Prostatitis - microbiology; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas aeruginosa - drug effects; Pseudomonas aeruginosa - immunology; Pseudomonas aeruginosa - pathogenicity; Pseudomonas aeruginosa - physiology; Pseudomonas Infections - drug therapy; Pseudomonas Infections - microbiology; structure; Wound Infection - microbiology; PMN; COM; QS; RSCV; CF; ROS; biofilm; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; eDNA; NET; antimicrobial tolerance; structure
• ISSN: 0022-2836; 1089-8638
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2015.08.016

Studies of biopsies from infectious sites, explanted tissue and medical devises have provided evidence that biofilms are the underlying cause of a variety of tissue-associated and implant-associated recalcitrant human infections. With a need for novel anti-biofilm treatment strategies, research in biofilm infection microbiology, biofilm formation mechanisms and biofilm-associated antimicrobial tolerance has become an important area in microbiology. Substantial knowledge about biofilm formation mechanisms, biofilm-associated antimicrobial tolerance and immune evasion mechanisms has been obtained through work with biofilms grown in in vitro experimental setups, and the relevance of this information in the context of chronic infections is being investigated by the use of animal models of infection. Because our current in vitro experimental setups and animal models have limitations, new advanced in vitro models developed with knowledge about the chemical landscape at infectious sites are needed. Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm in a chronic wound. The presence of the biofilm causes inflammation and is thought to keep the wound in an inflammatory that prevents healing. The arrows point to the wound surface. The scale bar corresponds to 30μm. [Display omitted] •Infections caused by microbial biofilms are a significant socio-economic burden that implicates hospitalization, patient suffering, lost employment, and reduced life quality.•Because the use of conventional antimicrobial compounds in many cases cannot eradicate biofilm infections, there is an urgent need to develop alternative measures to combat biofilms.•Research on biofilm infection microbiology, biofilm formation mechanisms, and biofilm-associated antimicrobial tolerance has come to the fore during the last two decades.•In the present article we review some of this research with a focus on the biofilm model organism P. aeruginosa.