Bacterial biofilms are becoming an increasing problem associated with catheters and other artificial implants.  The frequency of device-related biofilms are continuing to rise, with current infection rates totaling around 1-2% of primary arthroplasties, 3-5% of all arthroplasty revisions, around 10-50% of short term urinary catheterizations, and the majority of all patients with long term catheterization.  Conventional antibiotics are ineffective in treating and controlling bacterial burden in biofilms.  Therefore it is critical that novel approaches be developed that are capable of both preventing and treating biofilms.  Researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center have developed a novel method for both preventing biofilm formation and treating established biofilms.  They have created a cell-base therapy using activated macrophages that are produced ex-vivo.  They have tested this method using a mouse model for catheter associated S. aureus biofilms.  They have conducted both prophylactic and therapeutic treatment protocols and have demonstrated significant efficacy in preventing and treating S. aureus biofilms.  One key advantage of this method is that it utilizes the host’s own innate immune cells, thus eliminating/minimizing mutational pressures imposed directly on bacteria, thus decreasing the likelihood of developing resistant strains.