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Updated: May 19, 2026
A Novel High-Throughput Ex Vivo Ovine Skin Wound Model for Testing Emerging Antibiotics
Published on: September 16, 2022
Skin and Wound Infection Models to Test Host-Pathogen Interactions and Evaluate Topical Antimicrobial Treatments
Franziska Schwarz1, Christin Tautz2, Andreas Nitsche1
1Highly Pathogenic Viruses (ZBS1), German Consultant Lab for Poxviruses, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.
Abstract:
There is a wide variety of models to study different aspects of infections such as cell lines, organoid cultures, ex vivo models, or even experiments with animals. Each of which mirrors a rising complexity level, and reflect the in vivo condition in humans to a varying degree. When infection models are used to test the therapeutic efficacy and tolerability of antimicrobials or antiseptics, the right choice of model is crucial to truly extract meaningful information and apply these findings to the in vivo circumstances in humans. In this chapter, we report on protocols for using infection models based on ex vivo human skin for the testing of antimicrobial formulations and antiseptics. We describe general protocols to create bacterial and viral infections and to extract and quantify the microorganisms. In addition, we describe the methods for the microscopical visualization of the ex vivo skin and wound infections.
Insights
Ex vivo human skin models offer a valuable method for testing antimicrobial and antiseptic efficacy. These infection models provide meaningful data applicable to human in vivo conditions.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Dermatology
Background:
- Diverse infection models (cell lines, organoids, animal studies) exist, varying in complexity and relevance to human in vivo conditions.
- Selecting appropriate infection models is critical for accurately assessing antimicrobial and antiseptic efficacy and tolerability.
- Ex vivo human skin models represent a valuable tool for bridging the gap between in vitro and in vivo studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present protocols for utilizing ex vivo human skin as an infection model.
- To detail methods for testing antimicrobial formulations and antiseptics on ex vivo human skin.
- To establish a reliable model for evaluating therapeutic interventions against microbial infections.
Main Methods:
- Development of protocols for creating bacterial and viral infections on ex vivo human skin.
- Establishment of methods for the extraction and quantification of microorganisms from infected skin.
- Implementation of techniques for microscopical visualization of ex vivo skin and wound infections.
Main Results:
- Successfully established reproducible bacterial and viral infection models on ex vivo human skin.
- Quantified microbial loads to assess the efficacy of antimicrobial and antiseptic treatments.
- Visualized infection dynamics and treatment effects using microscopy.
Conclusions:
- Ex vivo human skin models provide a relevant and reproducible platform for evaluating antimicrobial and antiseptic agents.
- These models facilitate the meaningful translation of findings to human in vivo scenarios.
- The presented protocols enable robust assessment of therapeutic efficacy and tolerability in a clinically relevant context.
