THIS PROJECTS WORKS ON EXPLORING ALTERNATIVES FOR ANTIBIOTICS IN VETERINARY MEDICINE. ANTIBIOTICS ARE WIDELY USED TO TREAT BACTERIAL DISEASES IN BOTH ANIMALS AND HUMANS. HOWEVER, OVERUSE CAN LEAD TO ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE, WHICH IS RECOGNIZED AS A GLOBAL HEALTH CONCERN.OUR LABORATORY STUDIES THE THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF EQUINE MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS (MSC), A TYPE OF ADULT STEM CELLS ISOLATED FROM THE BLOOD OF HORSES, IN EQUINE WOUND MANAGEMENT. A COMMON COMPLICATION OF EQUINE WOUNDS IS BACTERIAL INFECTIONS AND WE RECENTLY FOUND THAT EQUINE MSC SECRETE FACTORS THAT CAN INHIBIT THE GROWTH OF BACTERIA COMMONLY FOUND IN SKIN WOUNDS OF HORSES.THIS PROJECT WILL WORK ON FURTHER STUDYING THE POTENTIAL OF EQUINE MSC TO FIGHT BACTERIAL INFECTIONS. THE SPECIFIC SCIENCE OBJECTIVES ARE TO DETERMINE HOW EQUINE MSC-DERIVED SECRETED FACTORS INHIBIT THE GROWTH OF BACTERIA AND BOOST HOST-INTRINSIC ANTIMICROBIAL DEFENSE SYSTEMS IN THE LABORATORY (IN VITRO) AS WELL AS IN HORSES WITH INFECTED WOUNDS (INVIVO).ONCE WE UNDERSTAND HOW EQUINE MSC EXERT THEIR ANTIMICROBIAL EFFECTS, WE CAN DEVELOP EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES TO (I) REDUCE THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF WOUND INFECTIONS IN HORSES AND (II) DECREASE THE USE OF ANTIBIOTICS BY USING MSC-DERIVED SECRETED FACTORS AS AN ALTERNATIVE THERAPY, NOT ONLY IN EQUINE MEDICINE, BUT VETERINARY MEDICINE IN GENERAL.