Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance Through Biofilm Disruption and Advanced Biotechnological Approaches

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), exacerbated by bacterial biofilms, threatens global health by rendering infections untreatable and driving mortality. Biofilms shield pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, reducing antibiotic efficacy up to 1000-fold. This scoping review synthesizes recent (2019-2025) evidence on biofilm disruption via marine actinobacteria-derived compounds, bacteriophage therapy, and CRISPR-Cas editing, addressing the gap in integrated, critically evaluated strategies distinguishing prevention from mature biofilm eradication. Justify focus on these approaches for their complementary mechanisms: natural inhibitors target formation (prevention), phages penetrate matrices (eradication), and CRISPR silences resistance genes. Searches across PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (n=1,248 records) yielded 45 studies after screening. Key findings: Streptomyces spp. inhibit biofilms 50-80% via secondary metabolites; phages reduce biofilm biomass 2-3 logs; CRISPR restores susceptibility but risks off-targets. Combinations show synergy (e.g., 80-90% inhibition) but face translational hurdles like phage stability and CRISPR delivery. Unlike prior reviews emphasizing single modalities, critically compare strategies, highlighting limitations (e.g., marine compounds' scalability) and needs for clinical validation. International collaboration is essential for underserved regions, though preclinical dominance warrants caution.