Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 21, Issue 1, 2015

Biofilms are microbial sessile communities characterized by cells that are attached to a substratum or interface or to each other, are embedded in a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substances and exhibit an altered phenotype compared to planktonic cells. Biofilms are estimated to be associated with 80% of microbial infections and it is currently common knowledge that growth of micro-organisms in biofilms can Read More

Cyclic di-GMP is a second messenger found in almost all eubacteria that acts to regulate a wide range of functions including developmental transitions, adhesion and biofilm formation. Cyclic di-GMP is synthesised from two GTP molecules by diguanylate cyclases that have a GGDEF domain and is degraded by phosphodiesterases with either an EAL or an HD-GYP domain. Proteins with these domains often contain add Read More

Bacteria are able to colonize and thrive in a variety of different environments as a biofilm, but only within the last half century new insights have been gained in this complex biosystem. Bacterial biofilms play a major role in human health by forming a defensive barrier against antibacterial chemical therapeutics and other potential pathogens, and in infectious disease when the bacteria invade normally sterile compartments Read More

Studies of the biofilm life cycle can identify novel targets and strategies for improving biofilm control measures. Of particular interest are dispersal events, where a subpopulation of cells is released from the biofilm community to search out and colonize new surfaces. Recently, the simple gas and ubiquitous biological signaling molecule nitric oxide (NO) was identified as a key mediator of biofilm dispersal conserved across micr Read More

Biofilms are formed by the attachment of single or mixed microbial communities to a variety of biological and/or synthetic surfaces. Biofilm micro-organisms benefit from many advantages of the polymicrobial environment including increased resistance against antimicrobials and protection against the host organism’s defence mechanisms. These benefits stem from a number of structural and physiological differences betwe Read More

The increasing prevalence of persistent biofilm infections, such as wound infections, chronic lung infections or medical device- related infections, which usually tolerate conventional antibiotic treatment, calls for the development of new therapeutic strategies. To date, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are considered as promising agents in the fight against multidrug-resistant bacterial biofilm infections, since many of them have Read More

Although free-swimming planktonic bacteria historically have been the typical focus of microbiological studies, the natural state of many or most bacteria is one where they instead are associated with surfaces and/or each other. For many pathogenic as well as nuisance bacteria, including biofouling bacteria, it consequently is within the context of this biofilm state that antibacterial strategies must be implemented. For reas Read More

Staphylococci, in particular Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis, are a leading cause of healthcareassociated infections. Patients who have a medical device inserted are at particular risk of an infection with these organisms as staphylococci possess a wide range of immune evasion mechanisms, one of which being their ability to form biofilm. Once embedded in a biofilm, bacteria are inherently mor Read More

The translation of promising preclinical treatments into effective drugs for Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been challenging. One of the most potent risk factors for sporadic AD is carrier status of the epsilon 4 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene (E4). E4 carriers show a differential response to several therapies which are being investigated as AD treatments, including acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and therapeutics with vascula Read More

Malignant gliomas and metastatic tumors are the most common forms of brain tumors. From a clinical perspective, neuroimaging plays a significant role, in diagnosis, treatment planning, and follow-up. To date MRI is considered the current clinical gold standard for imaging, however, despite providing superior structural detail it features poor specificity in identifying viable tumors in brain treated with surgery, radiation, Read More