Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a bloodstream infection caused due to bacteria. The statistical report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that the disease impacted more than 119,000 people in the United States in 2017, with 20,000 of them dying. S. aureus has become a global health problem because the bacteria can be lethal in certain circumstances. For instance, it affects immunocompromised patients negatively and can be aggressive in infected wound environments. Moreover, they have developed resistance to several antibiotics, which are currently the only treatments available to treat bacterial infections.
Now, the problem might be finally solved with a new study that suggests that treating wounds through secretion of stem cells known as MSC (Mesenchymal Stromal Cell). The details are based on a relevant ex vivo model and indicate that the new treatment can reduce MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus ). The research could practically revolutionize the MRSA Treatment Market. It brings forth a novel approach that might be applicable against the most dangerous strain of bacteria present today, i.e., MRSA.
MSCs refer to stem cells isolated from the bone marrow, blood, adipose (fat), and other tissue sources. Their use for tissue regeneration was primarily recognized due to their ability to differentiate between distinct tissue types. For the same reason, injected MSCs are thought to colonize the injury site, differentiate between the appropriate tissue types, and regenerate the damaged tissue. On the other hand, prior studies have stated that only a minimal portion of administered MSCs gets incorporated into the damaged tissue in reality. This is why; it has become the norm to believe that beneficial effects in tissue regeneration and repair are usually indirect and rely on the paracrine effects of cells’ secretion.
In the present study, the results exhibited that secreted factors from MSCs successfully decreased the viability of MRSA as per the unique skin model. Furthermore, the researchers also showed that equine MSC secretions augment the antimicrobial activity of the skin cells as they stimulate the immune responses of the resident skin cells present in the surrounding.
The findings opened a window of opportunity for new therapies that may rely on the secretome of MSC, including soluble factors and the ones released in extracellular vesicles. Further, the growth of cell-free therapies might be a safer and potentially more advantageous option once the risk associated with allogeneic use of the cells is removed.