In vitro activity of a new antibacterial rhodanine derivative against Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms.

Abstract

Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms form at the surface of implants and prostheses and are responsible for the failure of many antibiotic therapies. Only a few antibiotics are relatively active against biofilms, and rifampicin, a transcription inhibitor, is among the most effective molecules for treating biofilm-related infections. Having recently selected a new potential transcription inhibitor, we attempted to evaluate its efficacy against S. epidermidis biofilms.
Biofilm-forming S. epidermidis strains were grown planktonically or as biofilms and their susceptibility to this transcription inhibitor was compared with reference antibiotics with different mechanisms of action.
Our results demonstrate that this new molecule is active; its effects are fast and kinetically related to those of rifampicin, but unlike rifampicin it does not select for resistant bacteria.