ARTICLE | Targets & Mechanisms
Breaking the biofilm barrier
January 29, 2009 8:00 AM UTC
Bacterial biofilms compromise the use of implanted medical devices such as stents, catheters and ventilators because they can shed bacteria and cause infection elsewhere in a patient. These surface-attached bacterial communities are very difficult to eradicate as they are held together by a polymeric matrix, creating barrier-like properties that protect the bacteria from antimicrobials and the host immune
system...