Infection and Drug Resistance (Apr 2022)
Helicobacter pylori Biofilm-Related Drug Resistance and New Developments in Its Anti-Biofilm Agents
Abstract
Chong Hou,1,* Fangxu Yin,2,* Song Wang,2 Ailing Zhao,1 Yingzi Li,1 Yipin Liu1 1Department of Gastroenterology, Yantai Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong, 264100, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, 256603, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yipin Liu, Department of Gastroenterology, Yantai Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University, No. 717 Jinbu Street, Muping District, Yantai, Shandong, 264100, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-18953595711, Email [email protected]: Helicobacter pylori is one of the most common pathogenic bacterium worldwide, infecting about 50% of the world’s population. It is a major cause of several upper gastrointestinal diseases, including peptic ulcers and gastric cancer. The emergence of H. pylori resistance to antibiotics has been a major clinical challenge in the field of gastroenterology. In the course of H. pylori infection, some bacteria invade the gastric epithelium and are encapsulated into a self-produced matrix to form biofilms that protect the bacteria from external threats. Bacteria with biofilm structures can be up to 1000 times more resistant to antibiotics than planktonic bacteria. This implies that targeting biofilms might be an effective strategy to alleviate H. pylori drug resistance. Therefore, it is important to develop drugs that can eliminate or disperse biofilms. In recent years, anti-biofilm agents have been investigated as alternative or complementary therapies to antibiotics to reduce the rate of drug resistance. This article discusses the formation of H. pylori biofilms, the relationship between biofilms and drug resistance in H. pylori, and the recent developments in the research of anti-biofilm agents targeting H. pylori drug resistance.Keywords: Helicobacter pylori, biofilm, biofilm formation, anti-biofilm molecules, antibiotic resistance, resistance mechanism
