The use of immunoliposomes for specific delivery of antimicrobial agents to oral bacteria immobilized on polystyrene

Antibacterial immunoliposomes have been prepared using covalently bound ant ibody, raised to the cell surface of the bacterium Streptococcus oralis (S. oralis), and incorporating the bactericides chlorhexidine and Triclosan(TM ). A regrowth assay, in which the ability of a bacterial biofilm immobilise d on polystyrene to grow after exposure to a test solution, was undertaken to study the action of the antibacterial immunoliposomes. The antibacterial anti-oralis immunoliposomes show enhanced growth inhibition of S, oralis, compared to free bactericide, using low bactericide concentrations. For sho rt exposure times to the biofilms, antibacterial anti-oralis immunoliposome s can show several times enhanced growth inhibition of S, oralis compared t o free bactericide. Antibacterial anti-oralis immunoliposomes inhibit the g rowth of S. oralis more than that of other oral bacteria. The extent of gro wth inhibition by antibacterial anti-oralis immunoliposomes is linearly rel ated to the number of immunoliposomes targeted to the biofilm surface.