How a bacterium supports healing of chronic diabetic wounds

There are many important reasons for keeping cuts and sores clean, but new research from the Perelman School of Medicineshows that a certain bug, Alcaligenes faecalis (A. faecalis), can facilitate healing of hard-to-treat wounds among people with diabetes. While there are many studies done on potentially harmful bacteria in wounds, the researchers discovered that A. faecalis, a bacterium found in many types of chronic wounds, actually boosts healing of diabetic wounds.

The researchers have found that the beneficial bacterium can promote skin cell movements that are essential for wound closure by inhibiting enzymes that are overproduced in people with diabetes. The findings are published in Science Advances, led by Penn's Elizabeth Grice, the Sandra J. Lazarus Professor in Dermatology, and Ellen K. White, an MD-Ph.D. student at Penn.

The team says that uncovering the mechanisms behind how A. faecalis boosts healing could help scientists find new treatments for diabetic wounds. Such chronic wounds are categorized by sores, ulcers, or lacerations that fail to heal or heal very slowly, are common in patients with diabetes.

"Bacterial-based wound therapies are an exciting new frontier," says Grice. "There are many different ways to take advantage of our findings and future work on the wound microbiome. It may be possible to isolate the pro-healing molecules secreted by A. faecalis or target the pathways that are downstream of the bacteria's effects. The better we understand the whole process, the more likely we can translate our findings to ultimately help patients with wound and skin repair problems."

Read more at Penn Medicine News.