Chronic Wound Biofilms: Pathogenesis and Potential Therapies

Chronic wounds are a growing medical problem that cause high rates of morbidity and mortality, costing the healthcare industry in the United States millions of dollars annually. Chronic wound healing is hampered by the presence of bacterial infections that form biofilms, in which the bacteria are en...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Laboratory medicine 2015-11, Vol.46 (4), p.277-284
Main Authors: Clinton, Allie, Carter, Tammy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amputation
Antibiotics
Bacteria
Biofilms
Chronic Disease
Diabetes
Enzymes
Foot diseases
Humans
Immune system
Infections
Organisms
Polysaccharides, Bacterial
Quorum Sensing
Respiration
Studies
Ulcers
Wound healing
Wound Infection - microbiology
Wound Infection - physiopathology
Wound Infection - therapy
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Summary:Chronic wounds are a growing medical problem that cause high rates of morbidity and mortality, costing the healthcare industry in the United States millions of dollars annually. Chronic wound healing is hampered by the presence of bacterial infections that form biofilms, in which the bacteria are encased in exopolysaccharide (EPS) and are less metabolically active than their free-living counterparts. Bacterial biofilms make chronic wounds more refractory to treatment and slow tissue repair by stimulating chronic inflammation at the wound site. Bacterial species communicate through a mechanism known as quorum sensing (QS) to regulate and coordinate the gene expression that is important for virulence-factor production, including biofilm formation. This review focuses on the relationships between chronic wounds, biofilms, and QS in the virulence of chronic-wound pathogens.
ISSN:0007-5027
1943-7730
DOI:10.1309/LMBNSWKUI4JPN7SO