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Bacterial biofilms: an emerging link to disease pathogenesis

Matthew R Parsek1, Pradeep K Singh

  • 1Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208-3109, USA. m-parsek@northwestern.edu

Annual Review of Microbiology
|October 7, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Biofilms play a key role in chronic human infections like kidney stones, endocarditis, and cystic fibrosis. Understanding biofilm criteria is crucial for diagnosing and treating these persistent diseases.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
  • Pathogenesis Research
  • Medical Science

Background:

  • The role of biofilms in chronic human infections is increasingly recognized.
  • Clear diagnostic criteria for biofilm-associated infections are lacking.
  • Biofilms offer pathogens survival advantages and increased virulence in diverse environments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To clarify the role of biofilms in disease pathogenesis.
  • To discuss criteria for identifying biofilm-caused infections.
  • To analyze the significance of biofilms in environmental settings.

Main Methods:

  • Review of literature on biofilm-associated infections.
  • Case study analysis of infectious kidney stones, bacterial endocarditis, and cystic fibrosis lung infections.
  • Examination of environmental biofilm systems and pathogen survival.

Main Results:

  • Biofilms are implicated in the pathogenesis of infectious kidney stones, bacterial endocarditis, and cystic fibrosis lung infections.
  • Biofilm formation provides pathogens with enhanced survival and virulence.
  • Environmental biofilms serve as reservoirs for pathogens.

Conclusions:

  • Establishing clear criteria for biofilm-associated infections is essential for clinical practice.
  • Biofilms significantly contribute to the chronicity and severity of various human infections.
  • Understanding environmental biofilms is key to controlling pathogen reservoirs.

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