title: Antibiofilm Properties of Acetic Acid.
abstract: Bacterial biofilms are known to be extremely tolerant toward antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents. These biofilms cause the persistence of chronic infections. Since antibiotics rarely resolve these infections, the only effective treatment of chronic infections is surgical removal of the infected implant, tissue, or organ and thereby the biofilm. Acetic acid is known for its antimicrobial effect on bacteria in general, but has never been thoroughly tested for its efficacy against bacterial biofilms. In this article, we describe complete eradication of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative biofilms using acetic acid both as a liquid and as a dry salt. In addition, we present our clinical experience of acetic acid treatment of chronic wounds. In conclusion, we here present the first comprehensivein vitroandin vivotesting of acetic acid against bacterial biofilms.
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Immunology, and Microbiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Costerton Biofilm Center, University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen, Denmark . ; Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital , Copenhagen, Denmark .
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bjarnsholt
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Immunology, and Microbiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Costerton Biofilm Center, University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen, Denmark . ; Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital , Copenhagen, Denmark .
authors.forename: Morten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alhede
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital , Copenhagen, Denmark .
authors.forename: Peter Østrup
authors.initials: PØ
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Immunology, and Microbiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Costerton Biofilm Center, University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen, Denmark .
authors.forename: Anne K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Immunology, and Microbiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Costerton Biofilm Center, University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen, Denmark . ; Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark , Hørsholm, Denmark .
authors.forename: Helle Krogh
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Johansen
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Maxillofacial Surgery, Køge University Hospital , Køge, Denmark .
authors.forename: Preben
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Homøe
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Immunology, and Microbiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Costerton Biofilm Center, University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen, Denmark . ; Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital , Copenhagen, Denmark .
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Høiby
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Immunology, and Microbiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Costerton Biofilm Center, University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen, Denmark . ; Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University , Singapore, Singapore .
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Givskov
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hvidovre University Hospital , Hvidovre, Denmark .
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kirketerp-Møller