The use of quorum-sensing blockers as therapeutic agents for the control of biofilm-associated infections

The development of novel antimicrobial compounds is required to treat the growing number of infections where antibiotic resistance is a serious threat, especially in situations where biofilms are involved. Antibiotic resistance is the result of two factors: first, through the development of specific antibiotic resistance, due to either mutation or the acquisition of antibiotic resistance genes; and second, by the innate tolerance of bacterial biofilms. Bacterial control, through the inhibition of bacterial cell-cell communication systems which are involved in the regulation of virulence factor production, host colonization, and biofilm formation, is discussed in this review. Specifically, this review presents current studies on the development of quorum-sensing inhibitors for the control of bacterial infections.