Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm Formation and Inhibition - Antibiofilm Agents: From Diagnosis to Treatment and Prevention - page 226

Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm Formation
and Inhibition

Carolyn B. Rosenthal, Joe M. Mootz, and Alexander R. Horswill

Abstract Staphylococcus aureus is a prominent cause of chronic infections. Gen-
erally these infections are considered to be communities of bacteria that are matrix-
encased and attached to a surface, which is frequently referred to as a biofilm. These
infections can occur on host tissue, such as on bone in osteomyelitis and heart
valves in infective endocarditis, or they can occur on foreign implanted materials.
In this review, we summarize the latest knowledge in the basic principles of
S. aureus biofilm formation, and we outline the current understanding of biofilm
matrix components and the impact of quorum sensing in modulating biofilm
structure. A strong emphasis is placed on biofilm inhibition through an examination
of the latest literature on exogenous enzyme approaches or small-molecule treat-
ments for inhibiting biofilms. These small molecules include a number of recently
reported natural products with bioactivity against S. aureus biofilms and some
limited examples of anti-biofilm synthetic compounds. Overall the goal is to
provide readers with a basic understanding of S. aureus biofilm development and
give a fresh look at the ever-growing array of new treatment options that may lead
to innovative therapies for these challenging chronic infections.

1 Introduction

Staphylococcus aureus is a notorious pathogen capable of causing a spectrum of
acute and chronic infections. A tremendous amount of effort has been placed on
understanding the acute nature of disease caused by this pathogen and there is
continual concern about the growing levels of antibiotic resistance (DeLeo and
Chambers 2009 ; Chambers and Deleo 2009 ; Gordon and Lowy 2008 ; Spellberg
et al. 2013 ). At the same time, S. aureus is one of the most common etiological