title: Successful treatment of biofilm infections using shock waves combined with antibiotic therapy.
abstract: Many bacteria secrete a highly hydrated framework of extracellular polymer matrix on suitable substrates and embed within the matrix to form a biofilm. Bacterial biofilms are observed on many medical devices, endocarditis, periodontitis and lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients. Bacteria in biofilm are protected from antibiotics and >1,000 times of the minimum inhibitory concentration may be required to treat biofilm infections. Here, we demonstrated that shock waves could be used to remove Salmonella, Pseudomonas and Staphylococcus biofilms in urinary catheters. The studies were extended to a Pseudomonas chronic pneumonia lung infection and Staphylococcus skin suture infection model in mice. The biofilm infections in mice, treated with shock waves became susceptible to antibiotics, unlike untreated biofilms. Mice exposed to shock waves responded to ciprofloxacin treatment, while ciprofloxacin alone was ineffective in treating the infection. These results demonstrate for the first time that, shock waves, combined with antibiotic treatment can be used to treat biofilm infection on medical devices as well as in situ infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.|Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Divya Prakash
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Gnanadhas
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Monalisha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elango
authors.affiliation: Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Janardhanraj
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Srinandan
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.|Centre for Biosystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Akshay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Datey
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Centre for Infection and Immunity at The University of Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Strugnell
authors.affiliation: Centre for Biosystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.|Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Jagadeesh
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gopalan
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.|Centre for Biosystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Dipshikha
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chakravortty
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005107:Explosions; D051379:Mice; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents