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Published on: June 8, 2022
Innate Immune Response in Implant-Associated Infections: Neutrophils against Biofilms
Ulrike Dapunt1, Gertrud Maria Hänsch2, Carla Renata Arciola3,4
1Center for Orthopaedics, Trauma Surgery and Spinal Cord Injury, Heidelberg University Hospital, Schlierbacher Landstrasse 200a, Heidelberg 69118, Germany. Ulrike.Dapunt@med.uni-heidelberg.de.
Abstract:
Biofilm has been recognized as a well-protected form of living for bacteria, contributing to bacterial pathogenicity, particularly for opportunistic species. Biofilm-associated infections are marked by their persistence. Extensive research has been devoted to the formation and composition of biofilms. The immune response against biofilms remains rather unexplored, but there is the notion that bacteria within a biofilm are protected from host defences. Here we glance at the mechanisms by which neutrophils recognize and face biofilms in implant infections and discuss the implications of this interplay, as well as speculate on its significance.
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