Mancuso, G.; Trinchera, M.; Midiri, A.; Zummo, S.; Vitale, G.; Biondo, C. Novel Antimicrobial Approaches to Combat Bacterial Biofilms Associated with Urinary Tract Infections. Antibiotics2024, 13, 154.
Mancuso, G.; Trinchera, M.; Midiri, A.; Zummo, S.; Vitale, G.; Biondo, C. Novel Antimicrobial Approaches to Combat Bacterial Biofilms Associated with Urinary Tract Infections. Antibiotics 2024, 13, 154.
Mancuso, G.; Trinchera, M.; Midiri, A.; Zummo, S.; Vitale, G.; Biondo, C. Novel Antimicrobial Approaches to Combat Bacterial Biofilms Associated with Urinary Tract Infections. Antibiotics2024, 13, 154.
Mancuso, G.; Trinchera, M.; Midiri, A.; Zummo, S.; Vitale, G.; Biondo, C. Novel Antimicrobial Approaches to Combat Bacterial Biofilms Associated with Urinary Tract Infections. Antibiotics 2024, 13, 154.
Abstract
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a prevalent bacterial infection in both community and healthcare settings. They account for approximately 40% of all bacterial infections and require around 15% of all antibiotic prescriptions. Although antibiotics have traditionally been used to treat UTIs for several decades, the significant increase in antibiotic resistance in recent years has made many previously effective treatments ineffective. Biofilm on medical equipment in healthcare settings creates a reservoir of pathogens that can be easily transmitted to patients. Urinary catheter infections are frequently observed in hospitals and are caused by microbes that form a biofilm after the catheter is inserted into the bladder. Managing infections caused by biofilms is challenging due to the emergence of antibiotic resistance. Biofilms enable pathogens to evade the host's innate immune defences, resulting in long-term persistence. The incidence of sepsis caused by urinary tract infections that have spread to the bloodstream is increasing, and drug-resistant infections may be even more prevalent. While the availability of upcoming tests to identify the bacterial cause of infection and its resistance spectrum is critical, it alone will not solve the problem; innovative treatment approaches are also needed. This review analyses the main characteristics of biofilm formation and drug resistance in recurrent uropathogen-induced UTI. The importance of innovative and alternative therapies to combat biofilm-caused UTI is emphasised.
Keywords
urinary tract infection; nanoparticles; multidrug resistance; alternative strategies
Subject
Medicine and Pharmacology, Other
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.