PROTEOLYTIC-ENZYMES - A NEW TREATMENT STRATEGY FOR PROSTHETIC INFECTIONS

Among the different mechanisms of bacterial resistance to antimicrobia l agents that have been studied, biofilm formation is one of the most widespread. This mechanism is frequently the cause of failures in the treatment of prosthetic device infections, and several attempts have b een made to develop molecules and protocols that are able to inhibit b iofilm-embedded bacteria. We present data suggesting the possibility t hat proteolytic enzymes could significantly enhance the activities of antibiotics against biofilms. Antibiotic susceptibility tests on both planktonic and sessile cultures, studies on the dynamics of colonizati on of 10 biofilm-forming isolates, and then bioluminescence and scanni ng electron microscopy under seven different experimental conditions s howed that serratiopeptidase greatly enhances the activity of ofloxaci n on sessile cultures and can inhibit biofilm formation.