Bacterial biofilms: a challenge in the discovery of new anti-infective agents.

Abstract

The ability to form a biofilm, bacterial communities able to grow on surfaces and surrounded by an extracellular polymeric substance biofilm agents.Our research group focused on discovering of novel chemical agents of potential therapeutic utility in the treatment of staphylococcal biofilm-associatedinfections by screening novel compounds (synthetic or natural). In a recent study, the antistaphylococcalbiofilm activity of pyrrolomycins C,D, F1, F2a, F2b, F3 a family of halogenated pyrroles which are naturally produced byActinosporangium vitaminophylum and of the synthesized related compounds I, II, III were investigated and compared (Schillaci et al, 2010). We also focused on marine invertebrates as source of new antibiofilm agents and the activity of the 5kDa peptide fraction of the cytosol from coelomocytes of Paracentrotus lividus (sea-urchin) against staphylococcal biofilms was determined