This application seeks to address the impact of bacterial colonization and persistence in chronic wounds. The formation of biofilms has clearly been linked to chronic and persistent bacterial infections. This considerably delays and complicates wound healing. Unlike acute bacterial infections, which are often cleared by the host, biofilm-related chronic infections are not easily resolved even with high dose antibiotics and intact immunity. The bacterial pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Staphylococcus aureus, which are the focus of this application, cause an array of biofilm-related clinical diseases including persistent airway infections, burn wound infections, endocarditis, and surgical site infections. Unresolved infected wounds also contribute to nosocomial persistence and the spread of bacteria in health care settings. This proposal will use state-of-the art molecular and genomic approaches to define genes and pathways essential for P. aeruginosa persistence in chronic wounds in monoculture as well as in the presence of S. aureus and/or A. baumannii. Investigating this hypothesis will allow us to learn new P. aeruginosa biology and aid future management and treatment of chronic infections.
Aim 1 will identify genes and pathways necessary for P. aeruginosa during a chronic wound infection.
Aim 2 will identify genes and pathways necessary for P. aeruginosa during polymicrobial chronic wound infections. The development of a chronic infection model that can be sampled over time provides a relevant, unique, and novel approach for examining the effects of biofilm formation in the host. Ultimately information gathered will aid the treatment of an array of chronic infections including highly prevalent persistent wound infections.
of the proposed work to public health and NIH. Our overall objective is to combine genomic, molecular, and in vivo studies to discover new treatments for chronic wounds. The development of a chronic infection model that can be sampled over time provides a relevant, unique, and novel approach for examining the effects of biofilm formation in the host. Ultimately information gathered will aid the treatment of an array o chronic infections including highly prevalent persistent wound infections. Thus, the proposed work has the potential to broadly impact human health. This is in line with the NIH mission, which is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce the burdens of illness and disability.
