Anti-biofilm strategies and the need for innovations in wound care.
With an aging and obese population, chronic wounds such as diabetic ulcers, pressure ulcers, and venous leg ulcers are of an increasingly relevant medical concern in the developed world. Identification of bacterial biofilm contamination as a major contributor to non-healing wounds demands biofilm-targeted strategies to treat chronic wounds. While the current standard of care has proven marginally effective, there are components of standard care that should remain part of the wound treatment regime including systemic and topical antibiotics, antiseptics, and physical debridement of biofilm and devitalized tissue. Emerging anti-biofilm strategies include novel, non-invasive means of physical debridement, chemical agent strategies, and biological agent strategies. While aging and obesity will continue to be major burdens to wound care, the emergence of wounds associated with war require investigation and biotechnology development to address biofilm strategies that manage multi-drug resistant bacteria contaminating the chronic wound. The article presents some of the recent patents related to anti-biofilm strategy in wound care.
Ammons
Mary C B
MC
Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717, USA. mary.ammons@erc.montana.edu
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001458:Bandages; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003646:Debridement; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014456:Ulcer / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local