Prevention of Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation on catheters, contact lenses, and contact lens cases by a synthetic analogue of the antimicrobial lipopeptide humimycin

Biofilm-associated infections, particularly those caused by Staphylococcus aureus, pose a persistent challenge in clinical settings and in medical devices such as catheters, wound dressings, orthopaedic and dental implants, and contact lenses. The resilience of biofilms to conventional antimicrobial treatments underscores the need for innovative strategies. This study evaluated the efficacy of a synthetic analogue of the antimicrobial lipopeptide humimycin as a preventive measure against biofilm formation of S. aureus on catheters, contact lenses and contact lens cases, both as a coating agent and in combination with commercial multipurpose contact lens solutions. The results demonstrate a dose-dependent reduction in biofilm formation with the humimycin analogue coatings achieving up to 98% inhibition at 256 µg/mL. This significant reduction was accompanied by a marked decrease in bacterial metabolic activity, indicating that the humimycin analogue disrupts biofilm integrity and impairs bacterial function. When combined with commercial contact lens solutions such as Opti-Free® Express® and Solocare Aqua®, the biofilm-disrupting activity of the lipopeptide was further enhanced, with lower minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration values. These findings suggest that the humimycin analogue holds significant promise as a novel antimicrobial strategy for preventing S. aureus biofilm-related infections acquired from medical devices.