title: Macrolides and staphylococcal biofilms.
abstract: Medical device-associated infections represent a growing problem with limited or no therapeutic options beyond implant removal. Bacterial biofilm is the major and the final determinant of the poor prognosis of these difficult-to-treat infections. Due to the high antimicrobial resistance level of bacteria organized in biofilms, combination therapy is most often recommended, and macrolides may represent antibiotics of choice. Their anti-biofilm activity has been successfully used in-vitro and in-vivo against biofilm-associated infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other Gram-negative bacilli. However there is only little data regarding their clinical interest against infections involving staphylococcal biofilms. Despite controversial reports, there is growing in-vitro and in-vivo evidences of anti-staphylococcal biofilm activity of macrolides that could represent a significant advance in the battle against implant-related infections.
authors.affiliation: Service of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Universitario San Cecilio, Avda Dr. Olóriz 16. 18012, Granada, Spain. jordi@ugr.es
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parra-Ruiz
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vidaillac
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rybak
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D018942:Macrolides / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D018942:Macrolides