This article examines a likely basis of the tenacity of biofilm infections that has
received relatively little attention: the resistance of biofilms to mechanical
clearance. One way that a biofilm infection persists is by withstanding the flow
of fluid or other mechanical forces that work to wash or sweep microorganisms out
of the body. The fundamental criterion for mechanical persistence is that the
biofilm failure strength exceeds the external applied stress. Mechanical failure of
the biofilm and release of planktonic microbial cells is also important in vivo
because it can result in dissemination of infection. The fundamental criterion for
detachment and dissemination is that the applied stress exceeds the biofilm failure
strength. The apparent contradiction for a biofilm to both persist and disseminate is
resolved by recognizing that biofilm material properties are inherently heteroge-
neous. There are also mechanical aspects to the ways that infectious biofilms
evade leukocyte phagocytosis. The possibility of alternative therapies for treating
biofilm infections that work by reducing biofilm cohesion could (1) allow prevailing
hydrodynamic shear to remove biofilm, (2) increase the efficacy of designed
interventions for removing biofilms, (3) enable phagocytic engulfment of softened
biofilm aggregates, and (4) improve phagocyte mobility and access to biofilm.
%0 Journal Article
%1 stewart2014biophysics
%A Stewart, Philip S.
%D 2014
%J Pathogens and Disease
%K 92c10-biomechanics 92c60-medical-epidemiology biofilm
%P 212-218
%R 10.1111/2049-632X.12118
%T Biophysics of biofilm infection
%U https://academic.oup.com/femspd/article/70/3/212/567169?login=false
%V 70
%X This article examines a likely basis of the tenacity of biofilm infections that has
received relatively little attention: the resistance of biofilms to mechanical
clearance. One way that a biofilm infection persists is by withstanding the flow
of fluid or other mechanical forces that work to wash or sweep microorganisms out
of the body. The fundamental criterion for mechanical persistence is that the
biofilm failure strength exceeds the external applied stress. Mechanical failure of
the biofilm and release of planktonic microbial cells is also important in vivo
because it can result in dissemination of infection. The fundamental criterion for
detachment and dissemination is that the applied stress exceeds the biofilm failure
strength. The apparent contradiction for a biofilm to both persist and disseminate is
resolved by recognizing that biofilm material properties are inherently heteroge-
neous. There are also mechanical aspects to the ways that infectious biofilms
evade leukocyte phagocytosis. The possibility of alternative therapies for treating
biofilm infections that work by reducing biofilm cohesion could (1) allow prevailing
hydrodynamic shear to remove biofilm, (2) increase the efficacy of designed
interventions for removing biofilms, (3) enable phagocytic engulfment of softened
biofilm aggregates, and (4) improve phagocyte mobility and access to biofilm.
@article{stewart2014biophysics,
abstract = {This article examines a likely basis of the tenacity of biofilm infections that has
received relatively little attention: the resistance of biofilms to mechanical
clearance. One way that a biofilm infection persists is by withstanding the flow
of fluid or other mechanical forces that work to wash or sweep microorganisms out
of the body. The fundamental criterion for mechanical persistence is that the
biofilm failure strength exceeds the external applied stress. Mechanical failure of
the biofilm and release of planktonic microbial cells is also important in vivo
because it can result in dissemination of infection. The fundamental criterion for
detachment and dissemination is that the applied stress exceeds the biofilm failure
strength. The apparent contradiction for a biofilm to both persist and disseminate is
resolved by recognizing that biofilm material properties are inherently heteroge-
neous. There are also mechanical aspects to the ways that infectious biofilms
evade leukocyte phagocytosis. The possibility of alternative therapies for treating
biofilm infections that work by reducing biofilm cohesion could (1) allow prevailing
hydrodynamic shear to remove biofilm, (2) increase the efficacy of designed
interventions for removing biofilms, (3) enable phagocytic engulfment of softened
biofilm aggregates, and (4) improve phagocyte mobility and access to biofilm.},
added-at = {2023-09-13T03:37:34.000+0200},
author = {Stewart, Philip S.},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/29624ff3593c6c0d62ea909d608c2b6c7/gdmcbain},
doi = {10.1111/2049-632X.12118},
interhash = {0f5ad2a476447d9bebaf9562eebf9040},
intrahash = {9624ff3593c6c0d62ea909d608c2b6c7},
issn = {2049-632X},
journal = {Pathogens and Disease},
keywords = {92c10-biomechanics 92c60-medical-epidemiology biofilm},
pages = {212-218},
timestamp = {2023-09-15T13:40:06.000+0200},
title = {Biophysics of biofilm infection},
url = {https://academic.oup.com/femspd/article/70/3/212/567169?login=false},
volume = 70,
year = 2014
}