Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Pathog Dis, 2014 Apr;70(3):231-9.
PMID: 24453168 DOI: 10.1111/2049-632X.12141

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive pathogen that causes potentially life-threatening nosocomial- and community-acquired infections, such as osteomyelitis and endocarditis. Staphylococcus aureus has the ability to form multicellular, surface-adherent communities called biofilms, which enables it to survive in various sources of stress, including antibiotics, nutrient limitations, heat shock, and immune responses. Biofilm-forming capacity is now recognized as an important virulence determinant in the development of staphylococcal device-related infections. In light of the projected increase in the numbers of elderly patients who will require semi-permanent indwelling medical devices such as artificial knees and hips, we can anticipate an expanded need for new agents and treatment options to manage biofilm-associated infections in an expanding at-risk population. With better understanding of staphylococcal biofilm formation and growth, novel strategies that target biofilm-associated infections caused by S. aureus have recently been described and seem promising as future anti-biofilm therapies.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.