Anti-Biofilm Strategies and the Need for Innovations in Wound Care

Abstract

With an aging and obese population, chronic wounds such as diabetic ulcers, pressure ulcers, and venous leg ulcers are of an increasingly relevant medical concern in the developed world. Identification of bacterial biofilm contamination as a major contributor to non-healing wounds demands biofilm-targeted strategies to treat chronic wounds. While the current standard of care has proven marginally effective, there are components of standard care that should remain part of the wound treatment regime including systemic and topical antibiotics, antiseptics, and physical debridement of biofilm and devitalized tissue. Emerging anti-biofilm strategies include novel, non-invasive means of physical debridement, chemical agent strategies, and biological agent strategies. While aging and obesity will continue to be major burdens to wound care, the emergence of wounds associated with war require investigation and biotechnology development to address biofilm strategies that manage multi-drug resistant bacteria contaminating the chronic wound. The article presents some of the recent patents related to anti-biofilm strategy in wound care.

Next Science Wound Gel Technology, a Novel Agent That Inhibits Biofilm Development by Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Wound Pathogens

“…Encasement of the bacterial pathogens within the EPS, combined with the presence of necrosis within the surrounding wound bed and decreased blood flow to the compromised areas, prevents host defense responses from reaching the infected tissues and eliminating the infection and protects the pathogens within from the effects of systemically administered antibiotics (21)(22)(23). Strategies to treat wound biofilms are multipronged, including debridement to remove the biofilm and necrotic tissue, wound dressing to control moisture in the wound bed and to protect granulating tissue from damage, and treatment of the wound bed with topical antimicrobials to prevent regrowth of the microorganisms (1,6,(24)(25)(26). Systemic antimicrobials are added when the infection is deep and/or other infections are present (1)(2)(3)6).…”

Antimicrobial Nanostructured Bioactive Coating Based on Fe3O4 and Patchouli Oil for Wound Dressing

“…Selection of the appropriate wound dressing is important for correcting the underlying causes of non-healing wounds, such us biofilms development and in this context, novel technological solutions in the design of improved dressings for the wound management are required [4]. The incorporation of natural compounds with antimicrobial activity, which prevent or treat wound infections may aid tissue regeneration.…”

Sound Waves Effectively Assist Tobramycin in Elimination of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms In vitro

“…Once matured (i.e., approximately 48 h), P. aeruginosa biofilms become increasingly resistant to antibiotics (20). Thus, combined therapies of physical debridement of both the biofilm and devitalized tissues of the wound, systemic, and topical antibiotic therapy, antiseptics are often employed in the management of chronic wound infections (21). Though several treatment options have been investigated and tested, antibiotics remain as the first choice for biofilm infections.…”