Current Biofilm-Infected Chronic Wound Models for Developing New Treatment Possibilities.

The prevalence of chronic wounds is increasing worldwide. The most recent estimates suggest that up to 2% of the population in the industrialized countries is affected. During the past few decades, bacterial biofilms have been elucidated as one of the primary reasons why chronic wounds fail to heal. There is a lack of direct causation and evidence of the role that biofilms play in persistent wounds, which complicates research on new treatment options, since it is still unknown which factors dominate. For this reason, several different wound models that mimic the biofilm infections observed in chronic wounds and other chronic infections have been created. These different models are, among other purposes, used to test a variety of wound care products. However, chronic wounds are highly complex, and several different factors must be taken into consideration along with the infection, including physiochemical and human-supplemented factors. Furthermore, the limitations of using models, such as the lack of a responsive immune system should always be given due consideration. Present understandings of all the elements and interactions that take place within chronic wounds are incomplete. As our insight of chronic wounds continues to expand, so too must the models used to mimic these infections evolve and adapt to new knowledge.