Defining Host-Microbiome Interctions in Diabetic Wound Healing
Chronic non-healing wounds, such as diabetic foot ulcers, arise when normal tissue repair processes are interrupted. These types of wounds are associated with severe morbidity and diminished quality of life. Further, the microbiome of chronic wounds is highly complex and diverse, comprising bacteria and fungi from both unaffected skin and the environment. Current treatment strategies include sharp debridement of wound tissue, aiming to both reduce microbial burden and stimulate cellular regeneration by inducing an acute wound. However, the mechanisms underlying this response are poorly characterized. Understanding how the microbiome modulates host responses associated with tissue repair may lead to novel diagnostic markers to predict healing outcomes. In this pilot study we propose to employ dual transcriptome profiling (RNA-seq) of the host and microbiome to simultaneously characterize host and microbial gene expression in response to debridement. Our goal is to identify molecular signatures associated with cellular responses to promote healing or microbial signatures associated with impaired wound healing.

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