Issue 5, 2021

Antibiofilm peptides: overcoming biofilm-related treatment failure

Abstract

Health leaders and scientists worldwide consider antibiotic resistance among the world's most dangerous pathogens as one of the biggest threats to global health. Antibiotic resistance has largely been attributed to genetic changes, but the role and recalcitrance of biofilms, largely due to growth state dependent adaptive resistance, is becoming increasingly appreciated. Biofilms are mono- and multi-species microbial communities embedded in an extracellular, protective matrix. In this growth state, bacteria are transcriptionally primed to survive extracellular stresses. Adaptations, affecting metabolism, regulation, surface charge, immune recognition and clearance, allow bacteria to thrive in the human body and withstand antibiotics and the host immune system. Biofilms resist clearance by multiple antibiotics and have a major role in chronic infections, causing more than 65% of all infections. No specific antibiofilm agents have been developed. Thus, there is a pressing need for alternatives to traditional antibiotics that directly inhibit and/or eradicate biofilms. Host defence peptides (HDPs) are small cationic peptides that are part of the innate immune system to both directly kill microbes but also function to modulate the immune response. Specific HDPs and their derivatives demonstrate broad-spectrum activity against biofilms. In vivo biofilm assays show efficacy in abscess, respiratory, in-dwelling device, contact lens and skin infection models. Further progress has been made through the study of ex vivo organoid and air–liquid interface models to better understand human infections and treatment while relieving the burden and complex nature of animal models. These avenues pave the way for a better understanding and treatment of the underlying cause of chronic infections that challenge the healthcare system.

Graphical abstract: Antibiofilm peptides: overcoming biofilm-related treatment failure

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
16 Nov. 2020
Accepted
18 Dec. 2020
First published
13 Janv. 2021
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

RSC Adv., 2021,11, 2718-2728

Antibiofilm peptides: overcoming biofilm-related treatment failure

M. Dostert, M. J. Trimble and R. E. W. Hancock, RSC Adv., 2021, 11, 2718 DOI: 10.1039/D0RA09739J

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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