The possibility of using xenogeneic phagocytes in wound treatment

PLoS One. 2022 Jan 31;17(1):e0263256. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263256. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Metamorphosis in the insect larva is associated with disintegration, engulf and digestion of larval tissues. These processes are accompanied by a significant shift in physiological parameters like high activity of hydrolytic enzymes and decrease of pH. In the way, the metamorphosing larva resembles the processes occurring in the wound at the stage of inflammation. Based on this thesis, we put forward the idea of the possibility of using insect phagocytes in the wound treatment. The search for a suitable insect cell line and the study of its properties were the purpose of the work. The abilities of insect phagocytes to retain viability and functional activity under conditions physiological for humans were also investigated. We found that blue blowfly Calliphora vicina larvae had histolysocytes, a specialized population of professional phagocytes involved in the histolysis. In vitro, histolysocytes possess high phagocytic activity to fragments of vertebrate soft tissues and debris. These cells retain viability and functional activity for a long time under conditions that are physiological for vertebrate cells. Moreover histolysocytes can realize the humoral control over the bacteria through the synthesis of antimicrobial peptides. So histolysocytes have the potential to be used as xenogeneic phagocytes in the wound treatment. The data obtained allow proceeding to experiments on laboratory animals for studying the effect of such therapy on the wound healing process.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Infective Agents / pharmacology
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects
  • Chickens
  • Diptera
  • Hemocytes / drug effects
  • Hemocytes / physiology
  • Inclusion Bodies / drug effects
  • Inclusion Bodies / ultrastructure
  • Models, Biological
  • Phagocytes / physiology*
  • Phagocytes / ultrastructure
  • Phagocytosis / drug effects
  • Pupa / drug effects
  • Pupa / physiology
  • Swine
  • Wound Healing* / drug effects

Substances

  • Anti-Infective Agents

Grants and funding

This study was supported by a grant from Russian Science Foundation (grant number 19-75-00032). The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, the decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. https://www.rscf.ru/en/.