Background:There is increasing evidence that biofilms are critical to the patho-physiology of chronic infections including chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Until relatively recently, our understanding of biofilms was lim...Background:There is increasing evidence that biofilms are critical to the patho-physiology of chronic infections including chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Until relatively recently, our understanding of biofilms was limited. Recent advances in methods for biofilm identifica-tion and molecular biology have offered new insights into the role of biofilms in CRS. With these insights, investigators have begun to investigate novel therapeutic strategies that may disrupt or eradicate biofilms in CRS. Objective:This review seeks to explore the evidence implicating biofilms in CRS, discuss po-tential anti-biofilm therapeutic strategies, and suggest future directions for research. Results:The existing evidence strongly supports the role of biofilms in the pathogenesis of CRS. Several anti-biofilm therapies have been investigated for use in CRS and these are at var-iable stages of development. Generally, these strategies: 1) neutralize biofilm microbes; 2) disperse existing biofilms; or 3) disrupt quorum sensing. Several of the most promising anti-biofilm therapeutic strategies are reviewed. Conclusions:A better understanding of biofilm function and their contribution to the CRS disease process will be pivotal to the development of novel treatments that may augment and, poten-tially, redefine the CRS treatment paradigm. There is tremendous potential for future research.展开更多
文摘Background:There is increasing evidence that biofilms are critical to the patho-physiology of chronic infections including chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Until relatively recently, our understanding of biofilms was limited. Recent advances in methods for biofilm identifica-tion and molecular biology have offered new insights into the role of biofilms in CRS. With these insights, investigators have begun to investigate novel therapeutic strategies that may disrupt or eradicate biofilms in CRS. Objective:This review seeks to explore the evidence implicating biofilms in CRS, discuss po-tential anti-biofilm therapeutic strategies, and suggest future directions for research. Results:The existing evidence strongly supports the role of biofilms in the pathogenesis of CRS. Several anti-biofilm therapies have been investigated for use in CRS and these are at var-iable stages of development. Generally, these strategies: 1) neutralize biofilm microbes; 2) disperse existing biofilms; or 3) disrupt quorum sensing. Several of the most promising anti-biofilm therapeutic strategies are reviewed. Conclusions:A better understanding of biofilm function and their contribution to the CRS disease process will be pivotal to the development of novel treatments that may augment and, poten-tially, redefine the CRS treatment paradigm. There is tremendous potential for future research.
