Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of biofilm-associated prosthetic joint infection (PJI). A primary contributor to infection chronicity is an expansion of granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (G-MDSCs), which are critical for orchestrating the antiinflammatory biofilm milieu. Single-cell sequencing and bioinformatic metabolic algorithms were used to explore the link between G-MDSC metabolism and S. aureus PJI outcome. Glycolysis and the hypoxia response through HIF1a were significantly enriched in G-MDSCs. Interfering with both pathways in vivo, using a 2-deoxyglucose nanopreparation and granulocyte-targeted Hif1a conditional KO mice, respectively, attenuated G-MDSC–mediated immunosuppression and reduced bacterial burden in a mouse model of S. aureus PJI. In addition, single-cell RNA–Seq (scRNA-Seq) analysis of granulocytes from PJI patients also showed an enrichment in glycolysis and hypoxia-response genes. These findings support the importance of a glycolysis/HIF1a axis in promoting G-MDSC antiinflammatory activity and biofilm persistence during PJI.
Authors
Christopher M. Horn, Prabhakar Arumugam, Zachary Van Roy, Cortney E. Heim, Rachel W. Fallet, Blake P. Bertrand, Dhananjay Shinde, Vinai C. Thomas, Svetlana G. Romanova, Tatiana K. Bronich, Curtis W. Hartman, Kevin L. Garvin, Tammy Kielian
Figure 5
2-DG NP reduces G-MDSC–mediated immunosuppression, enhances proinflammatory responses, and improves biofilm clearance in vivo.
Copyright © 2025 American Society for Clinical Investigation
ISSN: 0021-9738 (print), 1558-8238 (online)