Microbial biofilms in chronic diseases

Microbial biofilms in chronic diseases

4^th International Conference on Medical Microbiology
May 20-21, 2019 | Vienna, Austria

Herbert B Allen

Drexel University College of Medicine, USA

Abstract:

We have found biofilms in many chronic diseases from eczema to psoriasis in cutaneous disease and from arteriosclerosis to Alzheimer’s disease in internal diseases. We have found these biofilms in extracellular and intracellular loci and we have shown that those that are extracellular upregulate the innate immune system. Those that are intracellular are not exposed to the immune system. The organisms creating these biofilms include Staphylococci in eczema, Streptococci in psoriasis, Malassezia furfur/ ovale in tinea versicolor, M. leprae in leprosy, molluscum virus in molluscum contagiosum, Borrelia burgdorferi and dental spirochetes in Alzheimer’s disease, and others. The locations of these biofilms are most frequently in the organ that is involved like Staphylococci in the skin in eczema, but occasionally they are found in a distant site such as the tonsils in psoriasis and the liver, spleen and kidneys in leprosy. These variables call for different approaches to treatment.

Biography:

Herbert B Allen is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine where he did his internship. He has completed his residency at the Naval Regional Medical Center in Philadelphia, PA, USA and has served on the boards of the American Society of Dermatology and the American College of Physicians and has published over 40 scientific articles in the fields of dermatology and dermatopathology. He has been the professor and chair of the Department of Dermatology of Drexel University College of Medicine for the past 17 years. His specialties include dermatology, dermatopathology, skin pathology and fungal infections and is boardcertified with the American Board of Dermatology and the American Board of Pathology.

E-mail: hba25@drexel.edu

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