Delving into the Fascinating Realm of Biofilm Forming Bacteria: A Review

Abstract

Bacterial biofilms are complex, three-dimensional communities of microorganisms that are encased in a self-produced extracellular matrix, which allows them to adhere to various surfaces, including medical devices, industrial equipment and living tissues. These biofilms exhibit remarkable structural and functional heterogeneity, genetic diversity and complex community interactions. Biofilm formation is a dynamic process that is triggered by environmental changes and involves multiple regulatory networks that mediate gene expression changes. Biofilms can confer significant advantages to the bacteria, such as increased tolerance to antimicrobial agents, evasion of the host immune system, and facilitation of horizontal gene transfer. Chronic nosocomial infections in clinical settings are often caused by biofilm. This review provides a concise overview of the development, dispersal and therapeutic strategies for bacterial biofilms, with a focus on their medical significance and the challenges they pose in the dawn of the post-antibiotic era. It focuses on emerging therapeutic strategies such as anti biofilm agents, phage therapy, use of nanoparticles, anti virulence strategies such as quorum sensing inhibitors, use of combination therapies, photo dynamic therapy, gene editing and RNA based therapies, immunotherapy, natural product based therapies, surface modification of meducal devices etc.