Staphylococcus biofilm components as targets for vaccines and drugs.

Staphylococci have become the most common cause of nosocomial infections, especially
in patients with predisposing factors such as indwelling or implanted foreign polymer bodies.
The pathogenesis of foreign-body associated infections with S.aureus and S. epidermidis is mainly
related to the ability of these bacteria to form thick, adherent multilayered biofilms. In a biofilm,
staphylococci are protected against antibiotic treatment and attack from the immune system, thus
making eradication of the infections problematic. This necessitates the discovery of novel prophylactic
and therapeutic strategies to treat these infections. In this review, we provide an overview of
staphylococcal biofilm components and discuss new possible approaches to controlling these persistent
biofilm-dwelling bacteria