Chronic wound microbiome colonization on mouse model following cryogenic preservation

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Wound Healing Research
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Chronic wound infections are complex, polymicrobial, and dynamic.
• Existing wound models need to reflect this complexity for accurate study.
• Cryogenic preservation offers potential for preserving and transferring polymicrobial wound communities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of cryogenic preservation for transferring polymicrobial wound communities.
• To quantify the effects of cryopreservation and wound microbiome transplantation on microbial composition.
• To assess the viability of using preserved wound slough in animal models.

Main Methods:

• Slough from human chronic wounds and a mouse model were preserved via refrigeration or cryogenic freezing (with/without glycerol).
• Preserved slough was used to inoculate individual mice, creating polymicrobial infections.
• Wound microbiota were analyzed using culture isolation and 16S rRNA gene profiling (quantitative PCR).

Main Results:

• Cryogenic preservation did not significantly reduce bacterial viability.
• Reestablished microbial communities were associated with the patient of origin and host context.
• Transplanted human microbiomes showed reduced diversity and compositional changes in mice, independent of preservation method.

Conclusions:

• Cryopreservation is a viable method for preserving polymicrobial wound communities for transplantation.
• Host context significantly influences microbial community structure post-transplantation, more than preservation strategy.
• Changes in community structure are expected due to the shift in infection environment, not preservation method.