Understanding biofilm resistance to antibacterial agents

According to a public announcement by the US National Institutes of Health, "Biofilms are medically important, accounting for over 80% of microbial infections in the body". Yet bacterial biofilms remain poorly understood and strategies for their control remain underdeveloped. Standard antimicrobial treatments typically fail to eradicate biofilms, which can result in chronic infection and the need for surgical removal of afflicted areas. The need to create effective therapies to counter biofilm infections presents one of the most pressing challenges in antibacterial drug development. In this article, the mechanisms that underlie biofilm resistance to antimicrobial chemotherapy will be examined, with particular attention being given to potential avenues for the effective treatment of biofilms.