Inhibition of bacterial adhesion on medical devices.

Microbial infections resulting from bacterial adhesion to biomaterial surfaces have been observed on almost all medical devices. Biofilm infections pose a number of clinical challenges due to their resistance to immune defence mechanisms and antimicrobials, and, regardless of the sophistication of the implant, all medical devices are susceptible to microbial colonisation and infection. Research efforts are currently directed towards eliminating or reducing infection of medical devices. Strategies to prevent biofilm formation include physiochemical modification of the biomaterial surface to create anti-adhesive surfaces, incorporation of antimicrobial agents into medical device polymers, mechanical design alternatives, and release of antibiotics. Nevertheless, the success of these alternatives has been modest, mainly due to the various environments into which devices are placed and the diversity of ways in which organisms can colonise surfaces. Biosurfactants have been reported as a promising strategy as they effectively inhibit bacterial adhesion and retard biofilm formation, and are thus potentially useful as a new generation of anti-adhesive and antimicrobial coatings for medical devices.