Final answer:
Treating biofilm infections is challenging due to their resistance to antibiotics, arising from protective barriers and resistance mechanisms within the biofilm. Anti-biofilm drugs need to disrupt initial biofilm formation stages. Research thus aims at targeting these processes alongside standard antibiotic action.
Step-by-step explanation:
Biofilm Resistance to Antibacterial Agents
The primary obstacle in treating biofilm infections is finding antibiotics that can penetrate the extracellular matrix. The difficulty arises because biofilms protect bacteria through physical barriers, slowed diffusion of drugs, and metabolic inactivity of deeper layers, leaving them less susceptible to antibiotics targeting active processes. Additionally, antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, such as efflux pumps and exchange of resistance genes, are enhanced within biofilms.
To prevent biofilm formation, a drug would require a mechanism to disrupt adhesion or communication, such as interfering with quorum sensing or the production of the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Targeting these initial stages of biofilm development would stop bacteria from anchoring and multiplying as a complex community. Therefore, research into anti-biofilm drugs focuses on these aspects, alongside conventional antibiotic activity.