A dermal infection involves the dermis, the dense inner layer of skin beneath the epidermis. These skin infections are caused by microbial invasion, and the presentation and severity of infection vary based on time of treatment, the invading pathogen, and the immune response it elicits. In severe cases, dermal infections can progress to the underlying soft tissue or become systemic. Our dermal studies assess the pharmacodynamic relationship between novel antimicrobial agents and infection outcome.

Procedure
We have established a dermal (sandpaper) infection model in mice. The dorsal area is abraded with sandpaper in order to remove the outermost epidermal layer of skin and animals receive a topical inoculation with an infectious agent. Test article may be administered via topical application, oral gavage (PO), subcutaneous (SC), intraperitoneal (IP), or intravenous (IV) injection. Each study parameter (animal strain, pathogen, comparator(s), and dosing schedule) can be customized to meet client needs.

The endpoint for this models are clinical scoring of zosteriform spread for HSV infections and CFU burden in harvested skin for bacterial infections. Pharmacokinetic profiling, blood chemistry, tissue harvests, and histology are available upon request.

Sample Data

Pathogens
TransPharm has validated a dermal infection (scratch) model using the following pathogens:

• Herpes Simplex Virus 1
  • H129C

Additional validations are available upon request.