The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and The Ohio State University College of Medicine, 700 Children's Drive, W591, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.
Paediatr Respir Rev. 2012 Sep;13(3):154-9. doi: 10.1016/j.prrv.2012.03.001. Epub 2012 May 27.
Understanding the nature of the biofilm component in the pathogenesis of otitis media [OM] will likely have a meaningful influence on the development of novel strategies to prevent and/or treat this highly prevalent pediatric disease. The design of vaccine candidates for OM that currently focus on preventing colonization are predicated on the assumption that by reducing the burden of bacteria present in the pediatric nasopharynx, one could reduce or eliminate the likelihood of retrograde ascension of the Eustachian tube by bacteria from the nasopharynx to the middle ear. If effective, this strategy could prevent biofilms from ever forming in the middle ear. Additionally, gaining an improved understanding of the unique properties of bacteria resident within a biofilm and the proteins they express while growing as part of this organized community has the potential to identify novel and perhaps biofilm-specific molecular targets for the design of either therapeutic agents or vaccine candidates for the resolution of existing OM.
了解中耳炎 [OM] 发病机制中生物膜成分的性质，可能会对开发预防和/或治疗这种高发性儿科疾病的新策略产生有意义的影响。目前针对预防定植的 OM 疫苗候选物的设计基于这样一种假设，即通过减少鼻咽部细菌的负担，可以降低或消除细菌从鼻咽部逆行进入中耳的可能性。如果有效，这种策略可以防止生物膜在中耳中形成。此外，深入了解生物膜内定植细菌的独特特性以及它们在作为这个有组织的群落的一部分生长时表达的蛋白质，有可能确定新的、可能是生物膜特异性的分子靶点，用于设计治疗剂或疫苗候选物来解决现有的 OM。
