The role of fungal colonisers in the delayed healing of wounds
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding the role of fungal colonisers in the delayed healing of wounds.
IRAS ID
255859
Contact name
Jacqueline Forss
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Brighton
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 30 days
Research summary
Chronic wound infections are responsible for considerable morbidity and significantly contribute to the escalation in the cost of health care. Wound infection may initially be manifest as bacterial and fungal colonization, and it is only when colonization is combined with other factors, such as decreased blood supply, intrinsic virulence of specific bacteria (e.g. Staphylococcus aureus), and host immune factors, that true infection occurs.(Siddique & Bernstein, 2010)
The group of microbial colonisers of the skin is called the skin microbiome. There have been many studies interested in investigating the bacterial microbiome at different anatomical sites of the human body, but few investigating the fungal elements present in wounds.
Polymicrobial biofilms are hypothesised to disrupt the process of wound healing but limited data is available on the diversity of the infected wound microbiome and on the inflammatory dysregulation imposed by these colonising organisms on the chronic wound bed, especially with regards to the fungal component of the microbiome. (i.e. the Mycobiome)
REC name
North West - Haydock Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/NW/0090
Date of REC Opinion
7 Feb 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion