Microbial cells and biofilms

Microbial cells and biofilms represent a complex therapeutic target consisting of aggregated microorganisms embedded within a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), including polysaccharides, proteins, and extracellular DNA (PMID: 11834788). This structural arrangement serves as a major virulence factor, providing a physical and chemical barrier that protects the embedded microbes from host immune responses and environmental stressors. Biofilms are characterized by high levels of antimicrobial tolerance, often requiring significantly higher drug concentrations for eradication compared to their planktonic counterparts (PMID: 21921683). They play a critical role in the persistence of chronic infections, particularly those involving medical devices, such as catheters and prosthetic joints, as well as in diseases like cystic fibrosis and periodontitis (PMID: 25821916). Therapeutic intervention typically involves a combination of traditional antibiotics to kill individual cells and biofilm-disrupting agents designed to degrade the EPS matrix or inhibit the signaling pathways, such as quorum sensing, that regulate biofilm maintenance (PMID: 31440120). Because this target represents a heterogeneous community rather than a single molecular entity, it presents unique challenges for standardized drug development and clinical monitoring.

Other names

Bacterial biofilmsFungal biofilmsMicrobial communitiesSessile microbial populationsExtracellular Polymeric Substances (EPS) matrix

Drugs targeting microbial cells and biofilms work by inhibiting cell wall synthesis, disrupting protein synthesis, degrading the extracellular polymeric matrix (e.g., via DNase or glycoside hydrolases), or interfering with quorum sensing pathways to prevent biofilm formation and promote dispersal (PMID: 23632386, PMID: 30147914).