New possibilities for biofilm control during chronic wounds healing

• Vladimir A. Bekhalo
• Elena V. Sysolyatina

Abstract

Chronic wounds are a serious public health problem because they are often associated with chronic infections and require long-term, expensive treatment. Infection of wound surfaces leads to the formation of biofilms – multicellular structures consisting of metabolically active and inactive cells and a matrix. The composition of bacteria in biofilms may vary, as well as their effect on the wound healing process. Biofilms often show resistance to antibiotics and antiseptics, which makes traditional treatment ineffective.

The aim of the review is to evaluate the role of biofilms in chronic wound infections and their effect on the healing process of chronic wounds with an analysis of therapeutic strategies.

Material and methods. The databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar were used to search for sources of scientific information. The key words are “chronic wounds”, “chronic wound infections”, “biofilm” and “therapeutic approaches to biofilm control”. As a result of the search, 1,250 articles were found, and 60 were selected for analysis.

Results and discussion. The scientific review briefly describes the healing process of chronic wounds infected with bacteria capable of forming biofilms. Methods of combating biofilm formation and methods of their resolution are presented.

Conclusion. Alternative therapeutic strategies for biofilm control include bacteriophage therapy, enzymes, antimicrobial photodynamic therapy, plasma treatment, and the use of antimicrobial peptides. The advantage of these methods is their clinical effectiveness and the ability to use them in combination with traditional approaches to treating chronic wounds.

Keywords: chronic wounds; chronic wound infections; biofilm; therapeutic approaches against biofilm

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