Significance of microbial biofilm occurence in the pathogenesis and treatment of chronic infections

The ability of bacterial cells to adhere to biotic and abiotic surfaces, to function as a group and to mutually communicate is crucial in the development of chronic infections diseases. Sessile communities of microorganisms today known as biofilm are involved in a number of chronic bacterial infections. Key characteristics of biofilm-infections are the persistence of infection and resistance to antimicrobial agents and host defenses. Advances in the technology and the application of new microscopic and molecular methods while studing ultrastructure and functional relationships inside the biofilm give hope that a new therapeutic way to control biofilm-infections, one of the greatest challenges of 21(st) century, will be found