Bacterial adhesion inhibitor prevents infection in a rodent surgical incision model

R. M. Huebinger, D. H. Do, D. L. Carlson, X. Yao, D. H. Stones, M. De Souza Santos, D. P. Vaz, E. Keen, S. E. Wolf, J. P. Minei, K. P. Francis, K. Orth, A. M. Krachler

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Surgical site infection risk continues to increase due to lack of efficacy in current standard of care drugs. New methods to treat or prevent antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections are needed. Multivalent Adhesion Molecules (MAM) are bacterial adhesins required for virulence. We developed a bacterial adhesion inhibitor using recombinant MAM fragment bound to polymer scaffold, mimicking MAM7 display on the bacterial surface. Here, we test MAM7 inhibitor efficacy to prevent Gram-positive and Gram-negative infections. Using a rodent model of surgical infection, incision sites were infected with antibiotic-resistant bioluminescent strains of Staphylococcus aureus or Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Infections were treated with MAM7 inhibitor or control suspension. Bacterial abundance was quantified for nine days post infection. Inflammatory responses and histology were characterized using fixed tissue sections. MAM7 inhibitor treatment decreased burden of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa below detection threshold. Bacterial load of groups treated with control were significantly higher than MAM7 inhibitor-treated groups. Treatment with inhibitor reduced colonization of clinically-relevant pathogens in an in vivo model of surgical infection. Use of MAM7 inhibitor to block initial adhesion of bacteria to tissue in surgical incisions may reduce infection rates, presenting a strategy to mitigate overuse of antibiotics to prevent surgical site infections.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)695-706
Number of pages12
JournalVirulence
Volume11
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2020
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Surgical infection
  • anti-virulence
  • bacterial adhesion
  • incision
  • laceration
  • pseudomonas
  • staphylococcus

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Parasitology
  • Microbiology
  • Immunology
  • Microbiology (medical)
  • Infectious Diseases

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