Nanotechnology applied to medical biofilms control

Abstract

Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (N&N) are new approaches to research phenomena at atomic, molecular and macromolecular scales, where properties differ significantly from those at a larger scale. This new approach can be applied to microbial biofilms, which are formed when bacterial and/or yeast cells adhere to abiotic and biotic surfaces. It is well known that microorganisms in biofilms have a different behaviour from their planktonic counterparts, demonstrating a general recalcitrance to medical therapy. Therefore, biofilm-associated infections on indwelling medical devices, such as catheters and prostheses, may persist even after suspension of antibiotic therapy and hence may require the removal of the device. In order to reduce patient`s morbidity and mortality, as well as high economical costs associated to medical biofilms, several attempts have been made to develop novel mechanisms of biofilm prevention and/or elimination. In this mini-review, the current knowledge on the features of biofilm formation and their relevance to medical device-associated infections are enclosed, as well as the new anti-biofilm approaches based on nanotechnology.