Chronic non-healing wounds represent a major health care buriden especially in elderly, bed-ridden, and diabetic patient populations. Microbial bioburden and/or infection are generally acknowledged to deleteriously affect wound healing and are a significant source of medical complications. Little is known about the microbes that colonize chronic wounds and how they influence the host cutaneous defense response during wound healing. Most microbial surveys of chronic wounds have relied on culture-based methodologies, even though it is estimated that >99% of bacteria are estimated to resist isolation in pure culture. Sequencing bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes is a less-biased approach to characterizing bacterial diversity. 16s rRNA genes are present in every bacterial cell and can be used to identify bacteria. Using these methods, I have generated preliminary data in the Lepr^''(db/db) mouse model of impaired wound healing that demonstrated a longitudinal selective shift in wound microbiota coinciding with impaired healing. Concurrent transcriptional profiling showed prolonged expression of cutaneous defense response genes, correlating with the selective shift observed in wound microbiota. Based on this preliminary data, the specific aims of this proposal test the hypothesis that wound microbiota integrates with an aberrant cutaneous host defense response to impair wound healing: (1) Characterize role for microbes in impaired wound healing by manipulating host skin and/or wound microbiota using gnotobiotic (germ-free) mice and antibiotic treatment regiments and (2) Investigate the impact of the cutaneous defense response on host microbiota and wound healing using db/db mice deficient for innate immune components or pro-inflammatory innate immune molecules. The completion of these aims will provide new insight into microbial interactions with the cutaneous defense response in impaired wound healing. The long-term goal is to enable the development of improved biomarkers and novel therapeutics by leveraging our understanding of host-microbe interactions in impaired wound healing. Furthermore, implementation of the proposed career development plan and completion of these aims will establish the foundation necessary for me to embark on a career as an independent investigator.

Public Health Relevance

Impaired wound healing is an increasingly prevalent medical complication affecting elderly, diabetic, and bedridden populations. This proposal seeks to understand how microbes interact with the host defense response in impaired wound healing. Understanding this interaction will enable the development of novel biomarkers and therapeutics to control infection and improve patient quality of life.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Type
Research Transition Award (R00)
Project #
5R00AR060873-03
Application #
8458940
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (NSS)
Program Officer
Tseng, Hung H
Project Start
2012-04-12
Project End
2015-03-31
Budget Start
2013-04-01
Budget End
2014-03-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2013
Total Cost
$236,550
Indirect Cost
$80,869
Name
University of Pennsylvania
Department
Dermatology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
042250712
City
Philadelphia
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
19104
Zheng, Qi; Bartow-McKenney, Casey; Meisel, Jacquelyn S et al. (2018) HmmUFOtu: An HMM and phylogenetic placement based ultra-fast taxonomic assignment and OTU picking tool for microbiome amplicon sequencing studies. Genome Biol 19:82
Meisel, Jacquelyn S; Sfyroera, Georgia; Bartow-McKenney, Casey et al. (2018) Commensal microbiota modulate gene expression in the skin. Microbiome 6:20
Bartow-McKenney, Casey; Hannigan, Geoffrey D; Horwinski, Joseph et al. (2018) The microbiota of traumatic, open fracture wounds is associated with mechanism of injury. Wound Repair Regen 26:127-135
Gimblet, Ciara; Meisel, Jacquelyn S; Loesche, Michael A et al. (2017) Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Induces a Transmissible Dysbiotic Skin Microbiota that Promotes Skin Inflammation. Cell Host Microbe 22:13-24.e4
Loesche, Michael; Gardner, Sue E; Kalan, Lindsay et al. (2017) Temporal Stability in Chronic Wound Microbiota Is Associated With Poor Healing. J Invest Dermatol 137:237-244
SanMiguel, Adam J; Meisel, Jacquelyn S; Horwinski, Joseph et al. (2017) Topical Antimicrobial Treatments Can Elicit Shifts to Resident Skin Bacterial Communities and Reduce Colonization by Staphylococcus aureus Competitors. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 61:
Bradley, Charles W; Morris, Daniel O; Rankin, Shelley C et al. (2016) Longitudinal Evaluation of the Skin Microbiome and Association with Microenvironment and Treatment in Canine Atopic Dermatitis. J Invest Dermatol 136:1182-1190
Kalan, Lindsay; Loesche, Michael; Hodkinson, Brendan P et al. (2016) Redefining the Chronic-Wound Microbiome: Fungal Communities Are Prevalent, Dynamic, and Associated with Delayed Healing. MBio 7:
Meisel, Jacquelyn S; Hannigan, Geoffrey D; Tyldsley, Amanda S et al. (2016) Skin Microbiome Surveys Are Strongly Influenced by Experimental Design. J Invest Dermatol 136:947-956
Ibiza, Sales; García-Cassani, Bethania; Ribeiro, Hélder et al. (2016) Glial-cell-derived neuroregulators control type 3 innate lymphoid cells and gut defence. Nature 535:440-443

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