Biofilms – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
You may have noticed that the topic of “Biofilms” is becoming more noticeable in our understanding of human health and disease.
Biofilms are ubiquitous in our environment: good examples would be the plaque on our teeth as well as the mucosal layers in the gut lumen.
Biofilms can represent a major cause of illness and disease:
According to a recent public statement from the National Institutes of Health, more than 65% of all microbial infections are caused by biofilms.[11]
A few examples of common health issues in which biofilms are involved include:
– Kidney stone development
– Otitis Media infections
– Endocarditis
– Diabetic ulcerations
– and many more…
So let’s start off our discussion on biofilms with a definition of what a biofilm is: