Recent Strategies to Combat Biofilms Using Antimicrobial Agents and Therapeutic Approaches

Abstract

Biofilms are intricate bacterial assemblages that attach to diverse surfaces using an extracellular polymeric substance that protects them from the host immune system and conventional antibiotics. Biofilms cause chronic infections that result in millions of deaths around the world every year. Since the antibiotic tolerance mechanism in biofilm is different than that of the planktonic cells due to its multicellular structure, the currently available antibiotics are inadequate to treat biofilm-associated infections which have led to an immense need to find newer treatment options. Over the years, various novel antibiofilm compounds able to fight biofilms have been discovered. In this review, we have focused on the recent and intensively researched therapeutic techniques and antibiofilm agents used for biofilm treatment and grouped them according to their type and mode of action. We also discuss some therapeutic approaches that have the potential for future advancement.