Interspecies bacterial communication as a target for therapy in otitis media

It is now clear that biofilm communities are an important determinant of bacterial persistence during chronic and/or recurrent infections [1]. Epidemiological data indicate that many chronic infections such as otitis media (OM) are polymicrobial [2], and it has long been appreciated that virulence and/or resistance to treatment can be dramatically impacted by coinfection [3]. Our recent work shows that, in the context of experimental OM, coinfection promotes bacterial persistence and antibiotic resistance via interspecies communication (i.e., quorum signaling) [4]. Thus, targeting bacterial communication is a potential means for primary antimicrobial treatment or as an adjunct to antibiotic therapy.