الفهرس 
GENERAL INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The present thesis focuses on pharmaceutical means of combating bacterial biofilms on abiotic surfaces such as catheters. This is the second thesis presented to the Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University in pursuit of this line of research in collaboration with the Department of Pharmaceutical Micribiology.
With the failure of conventional means to achieve adequate therapeutic levels at the infectious sites of biofilm localization, either due to the bacterial resistance toward the already existing therapeutic strategies, novel drug delivery strategies are receiving considerable attention in recent years.
For the eradication of microbial biofilm on device-related nosocomial infections, lipid- and polymer-based drug delivery carriers are widely investigated in conjunction with other anti-biofilm approaches such as electrical, ultrasound and photodynamic mediated enhancements of antimicrobial activity or transport through biofilms. Other means of aiding combating biofilms include surface modification of devices to reduce bacterial attachment and biofilm development as well as incorporation of antimicrobials again to prevent colonisation.
The potential of novel drug delivery carriers to eradicate biofilms from device-related nosocomial infections are believed to function in several ways: prevention of colonisation and biofilm formation (inhibition of biofilm formation), accumulation at the biofilm surface or interface and drug penetration into the biofilm (eradication of biofilm). Liposomes have been studied for their ability to act against colonizing microorganisms, to concentrate agents at biofilm interfaces, and also to be taken up into cells harboring intracellular pathogens.
The objective of the present thesis was to develop and characterize a vancomycin-loaded propylene glycol liposome formulation as a new vancomycin delivery system for antimicrobial biomedical applications. Vancomycin-loaded PG liposomes combine the
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potential of vancomycin, recommended for the prophylaxis and treatment of implant related staphylococcal infections with the potential of liposomes to enhance the antibiotic activity.