Photodynamic Therapy for Treating Staphylococcus aureus Infections.

BACKGROUND Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive spherical bacterium that causes various infections that can be superficial or become life-threatening. Besides, S. aureus represents a major producer of healthcare-associated infections. Hospital strains of S. aureus are exceptionally resistant to antibiotics, which has made their treatment difficult in recent decades. Other therapeutic alternatives have been postulated to overcome the drawbacks of multi-resistance. Of these, photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising approach to address the notable shortage of new active antibiotics against multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. PDT combines the use of a photosensitizer agent, light, and oxygen to eradicate pathogenic microorganisms. Through a systematic analysis of published results, this work aims to verify the usefulness of applying PDT in treating multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections. METHODS This review was based on a bibliographic search in various databases and the analysis of relevant publications. RESULTS There is currently a large body of evidence demonstrating the efficacy of photodynamic therapy in eliminating Staphylococcus aureus strains. Both biofilm-producing strains, as well as multidrug-resistant strains. CONCLUSION We conclude that there is sufficient scientific evidence that PDT is a safe and useful adjunct to traditional antibiotic therapy for treating S. aureus infections. Therefore, putting protocols of its use in clinical trials studies that allow taking this tool to clinical use should not be made wait.