Title:Helicobacter pylori Biofilm and New Strategies to Combat it
VOLUME: 21 ISSUE: 7
Author(s):Majid Taati Moghadam, Zahra Chegini, Amin Khoshbayan, Iman Farahani and Aref Shariati*
Affiliation:Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran
Keywords:H. pylori, Biofilm, Gastritis, Antibiotics resistance, New Strategies.
Abstract:Helicobacter pylori, the most frequent pathogen worldwide that colonizes
around 50% of the world’s population, causes important diseases such as gastric
adenocarcinoma, chronic gastritis, and gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue
(MALT) lymphoma. In recent years, various studies have reported that H. pylori biofilm
may be one of the critical barriers to the eradication of this bacterial infection. Biofilms
inhibit the penetration of antibiotics, increase the expression of efflux pumps and
mutations, multiple therapeutic failures, and chronic infections. Nanoparticles and
natural products can demolish H. pylori biofilm by destroying the outer layers and
inhibiting the initial binding of bacteria. Also, the use of combination therapies destroying
extracellular polymeric substances decreases coccoid forms of bacteria and degrading
polysaccharides in the outer matrix that lead to an increase in the permeability and
performance of antibiotics. Different probiotics, antimicrobial peptides, chemical
substances, and polysaccharides by inhibiting adhesion and colonization of H. pylori can
prevent biofilm formation by this bacterium. Of note, many of the above are applicable to
acidic pH and can be used to treat gastritis. Therefore, H. pylori biofilm may be one of
the major causes of failure to eradication of infections caused by this bacterium, and
antibiotics are not capable of destroying the biofilm. Thus, it is necessary to use new
strategies to prevent recurrent and chronic infections by inhibiting biofilm formation.
