Drug Delivery Systems That Eradicate and/or Prevent Biofilm Formation

The capability to form biofilms contributes significantly to the pathogenesis of microbial infections by various mechanisms including a decrease in susceptibility to antimicrobial agents. Over the past few years therapy against biofilm has undergone a revolutionary shift to effectively kill biofilm-producing microorganisms. With the advancement of biotechnology, emphasis has been made to effectively deliver antimicrobial agents against biofilm. In this regard, particulate materials have attracted enormous attention as drug delivery systems, not only for the controlled release of drugs but also because of the rapid development of synthetic methods for controlling morphology and particle size from the micro to the nanoscale. For targeted drug delivery a number of constituents in the process of biofilm formation have been studied as targets for novel drug delivery technologies. In this chapter, the contribution of various drug delivery systems made up of amphiphilic molecules (liposome, niosomes), polymer (PLGA), chitin (chitosan), and dendrimer, and their potential to deliver antimicrobial agents against biofilm is discussed.