Project description:Characterization of the transcriptional signatures of 771 human genes and 19 coronavirus genes in skin samples collected from the borders of hospital-acquired sacral pressure injuries (HASPIs) that developed in individuals with and without COVID-19. Samples included pressure ulcers from individuals without COVID-19 (10), pressure ulcers from individuals with COVID-19 (5), as well as pressure ulcers with thrombotic vasculopathy histopathology from individuals with COVID-19 (8).
Project description:Skin colonisation of varied communities of commensal microorganisms, such as Staphylococcus aureus (SA), Staphylococcus epidermidis (SE) and Staphylococcus capitis (SC) form the microbiome; a necessity for healthy skin. The skin changes characteristic of atopic dermatitis, a common inflammatory skin disease, have been shown to provide a favourable niche for SA colonisation. We utilised a reconstructed human epidermal (RHE) model recapitulating the stratified anatomy of the epidermis on which to test host responses to bacterial colonisation. SA proliferation was significantly inhibited in contrast to that seen with SE at both high and low colonisation loads after 24 hours. These data strongly suggest species specific regulation of staphylococcal growth, which is partially mediated by interaction with the epidermis.
Project description:Staphylococcus hominis is frequently isolated from human skin and we hypothesize that it may protect the cutaneous barrier from opportunistic pathogens. We determined that S. hominis makes six unique auto inducing peptide (AIP) signals that inhibit the major virulence factor accessory gene regulator (agr) quorum sensing system of Staphylococcus aureus. We solved and confirmed the structures of three novel AIP signals in conditioned media by mass spectrometry, then validated synthetic AIP activity against all S. aureus agr classes. Synthetic AIPs also inhibited the conserved agr system in a related species, Staphylococcus epidermidis. We determined the distribution of S. hominis agr types on healthy human skin and found S. hominis agr-I and agr-II were highly represented across subjects. Further, synthetic AIP-II was protective in vivo against S. aureus-associated dermonecrotic or epicutaneous injury. Together, these findings demonstrate that a ubiquitous colonizer of human skin has a fundamentally protective role against opportunistic damage.
2022-04-04 | GSE199818 | GEO
Project description:LimpiAD FOAM AND THE POTENTIAL CONTROL OF THE PRESSURE ULCERS ONSET.
Project description:Targeted electrical energy externally applied to a complex wound, including pressure ulcers and venous leg has been shown to improve wound healing. However, how this repair process is stimulated is poorly understood. We examined by microarray analysis the effects of a class IIA medical device that delivers a specific sequence of electrical pulses (e-sequence) to the skin of healthy volunteers during a period of 48 hours.
Project description:This study was carried out to evaluate the changes that occur in the skin after the development of cutaneous leishmaniasis, aiming at a comprehensive understanding of immune pathways and biological functions activated in lesions caused by L. braziliensis. This analysis was conducted on 8 skin ulcers from patients infected with L. braziliensis. The patients selected for the gene expression analysis had recent L. braziliensis infection that had not yet been treated. 8 controls samples are skin biopsies from healthy donors (non-infected).
Project description:Drug discovery for novel anti-infectives is essential to meet the global health threat of antibiotic resistant bacterial infections, including those caused by Staphylococcus aureus1,2. Because ~90% of S. aureus infections involve skin and soft tissues (SSTIs)3,4, we hypothesized that developing anti-virulence therapeutics5,6 for SSTIs could minimize pressure on resistance development while sparing conventional antibiotics for control of systemic infections. We identified a small molecule inhibitor that disrupted signaling by a quorum sensing operon, agr, associated with human SSTIs7,8 without affecting agr-independent growth.
