Abstract
Infection still represents one of the most serious and ravaging complications associated with prosthetic devices. Staphylococci and enterococci, the bacteria most frequently responsible for orthopedic postsurgical and implant-related infections, express clinically relevant antibiotic resistance. The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the slow progress in identifying new classes of antimicrobial agents have encouraged research into novel therapeutic strategies. The adoption of antisense or "antigene" molecules able to silence or knock-out bacterial genes responsible for their virulence is one possible innovative approach. Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) are potential drug candidates for gene therapy in infections, by silencing a basic gene of bacterial growth or by tackling the antibiotic resistance or virulence factors of a pathogen. An efficacious contrast to bacterial genes should be set up in the first stages of infection in order to prevent colonization of periprosthesis tissues. Genes encoding bacterial factors for adhesion and colonization (biofilm and/or adhesins) would be the best candidates for gene therapy. But after initial enthusiasm for direct antisense knock-out or silencing of essential or virulence bacterial genes, difficulties have emerged; consequently, new approaches are now being attempted. One of these, interference with the regulating system of virulence factors, such as agr, appears particularly promising.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 689-695 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | International Journal of Artificial Organs |
| Volume | 32 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| Publication status | Published - 2009 |
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Keywords
- Agr
- Antibiotic resistance
- Biofilm
- Enterococcus faecalis
- Gene therapy
- Horizontal gene transfer
- Implant infection
- Peptide nucleic acid (PNA)
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Quorum sensing
- RNAIII-activating protein (RAP)
- RNAIII-inhibiting peptide (RIP)
- Staphylococcus aureus
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biomaterials
- Biomedical Engineering
- Bioengineering
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
Cite this
Prospecting gene therapy of implant infections. / Costerton, William J.; Montanaro, Lucio; Balaban, Naomi; Arciola, Carla Renata.
In: International Journal of Artificial Organs, Vol. 32, No. 9, 2009, p. 689-695.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Prospecting gene therapy of implant infections
AU - Costerton, William J.
AU - Montanaro, Lucio
AU - Balaban, Naomi
AU - Arciola, Carla Renata
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - Infection still represents one of the most serious and ravaging complications associated with prosthetic devices. Staphylococci and enterococci, the bacteria most frequently responsible for orthopedic postsurgical and implant-related infections, express clinically relevant antibiotic resistance. The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the slow progress in identifying new classes of antimicrobial agents have encouraged research into novel therapeutic strategies. The adoption of antisense or "antigene" molecules able to silence or knock-out bacterial genes responsible for their virulence is one possible innovative approach. Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) are potential drug candidates for gene therapy in infections, by silencing a basic gene of bacterial growth or by tackling the antibiotic resistance or virulence factors of a pathogen. An efficacious contrast to bacterial genes should be set up in the first stages of infection in order to prevent colonization of periprosthesis tissues. Genes encoding bacterial factors for adhesion and colonization (biofilm and/or adhesins) would be the best candidates for gene therapy. But after initial enthusiasm for direct antisense knock-out or silencing of essential or virulence bacterial genes, difficulties have emerged; consequently, new approaches are now being attempted. One of these, interference with the regulating system of virulence factors, such as agr, appears particularly promising.
AB - Infection still represents one of the most serious and ravaging complications associated with prosthetic devices. Staphylococci and enterococci, the bacteria most frequently responsible for orthopedic postsurgical and implant-related infections, express clinically relevant antibiotic resistance. The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the slow progress in identifying new classes of antimicrobial agents have encouraged research into novel therapeutic strategies. The adoption of antisense or "antigene" molecules able to silence or knock-out bacterial genes responsible for their virulence is one possible innovative approach. Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) are potential drug candidates for gene therapy in infections, by silencing a basic gene of bacterial growth or by tackling the antibiotic resistance or virulence factors of a pathogen. An efficacious contrast to bacterial genes should be set up in the first stages of infection in order to prevent colonization of periprosthesis tissues. Genes encoding bacterial factors for adhesion and colonization (biofilm and/or adhesins) would be the best candidates for gene therapy. But after initial enthusiasm for direct antisense knock-out or silencing of essential or virulence bacterial genes, difficulties have emerged; consequently, new approaches are now being attempted. One of these, interference with the regulating system of virulence factors, such as agr, appears particularly promising.
KW - Agr
KW - Antibiotic resistance
KW - Biofilm
KW - Enterococcus faecalis
KW - Gene therapy
KW - Horizontal gene transfer
KW - Implant infection
KW - Peptide nucleic acid (PNA)
KW - Pseudomonas aeruginosa
KW - Quorum sensing
KW - RNAIII-activating protein (RAP)
KW - RNAIII-inhibiting peptide (RIP)
KW - Staphylococcus aureus
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=70549089786&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 19882546
AN - SCOPUS:70549089786
VL - 32
SP - 689
EP - 695
JO - International Journal of Artificial Organs
JF - International Journal of Artificial Organs
SN - 0391-3988
IS - 9
ER -