Eradication of Biofilm-Mediated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infections <i>In Vitro</i> : Bacteriophage-Antibiotic Combination

Abstract

Biofilm-associated multidrug-resistant infections pose significant challenges for antibiotic therapy. The extracellular polymeric matrix of biofilms presents an impediment for antibiotic diffusion, facilitating the emergence of multidrug-resistant populations. Some bacteriophages (phages) can move across the biofilm matrix, degrade it, and support antibiotic penetration. However, little is known about how phages and their hosts interact in the biofilm environment or how different phage+antibiotic combinations (PACs) impact biofilms in comparison to the planktonic state of bacteria, though scattered data suggest that phage+antibiotic synergy occurs more readily under biofilm-like conditions. Our results demonstrated that phage Sb-1 can infect MRSA strains both in biofilm and planktonic states and suggested PAC regimens worthy of further investigation as adjuncts to antibiotics.