Bacterium delays wound healing

Pseudomonas aeruginosa and its variants are associated with delays in wound healing. The bacterium is present on the skin that causes poor wound healing in certain conditions.
Damage to a receptor that allows the body to recognise the bacteria is associated with a change in the balance of the community of bacteria present normally on the skin.

The shift in balance has an enormous impact on the ability of the wound to heal. The bacterium has previously been associated with wound infections, and such infection is a major complication of skin wounds that fail to heal. The research was carried out using mice that were previously shown to heal poorly. The mice lack the receptor Nod2 that recognises bacterial components and has been shown to regulate the host response to bacteria.

Researchers discovered that mice lacking Nod2 had more Pseudomonas aeruginosa than normal mice, which is associated with delayed wound healing. The bacteria also caused normal mice to heal poorly. The team says the findings are also applicable to humans as Pseudomonas aeruginosa is associated with infected wounds that heal poorly in people.

There is an urgent need to understand the bacterial communities in our skin and why so many of us will develop wounds that do not heal. Wounds can be caused by a multitude of factors from trauma to bed sores, but infection is a complication that can lead to life-threatening illness. Many people are struggling with wounds that heal poorly, but this new study suggests that the types of bacteria present may be responsible for failure to heal, which is important for treatment management.
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