About

Sasha Shafikhani, Ph.D., is a Professor and Director of Microbiome Research at UC Davis Department of Dermatology. His research strategy involves leveraging insights from pathogen studies to enhance the understanding of host cellular processes. His lab primarily focuses on identifying the virulence mechanisms that drive Pseudomonas aeruginosa pathogenesis in wound infections, as well as investigating the eukaryotic host responses aimed at controlling these infections. Additionally, his team uses bacterial toxins as molecular tools to explore critical mammalian cellular processes, including cytokinesis, apoptotic programmed cell death, and apoptotic compensatory proliferation signaling. Recent projects in his lab are centered on identifying the dysfunctional mechanisms that make diabetic wounds susceptible to infection and impair their healing processes.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Biology
• Surgery
• Pathology
• Cell biology
• Bioinformatics
• Immunology
• Endocrinology
• Microbiology
• Internal medicine
• Pharmacology

Selected publications

• CCL3 and LPS combination therapy significantly reduces infection and stimulates wound healing in diabetic mice by boosting proinflammatory responses

  Journal of Investigative Dermatology · 2026-02-01

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Synergy between immune system and antibiotics drives infection control in mice

  Frontiers in Immunology · 2026-01-21 · 2 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Background: Antibiotics and host immunity are traditionally viewed as independent defenses, with antibiotics reducing bacterial load to levels manageable by the immune system. Modeling studies, however, predict that synergy between these defenses is critical for infection control, but this has not been experimentally verified. Methods: wound infection model in immunocompetent (C57BL/6) and immunocompromised (NSG) mice treated with systemic tobramycin. Results: In C57BL/6 mice, tobramycin-mediated bacterial killing increased pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) - namely lipopolysaccharide (LPS) - which in turn amplified local inflammation, enhancing antibiotic efficacy in a manner largely dependent on neutrophils. In contrast, NSG mice failed to potentiate tobramycin bacterial killing to increase PAMPs and mount Tobramycin-induced boost in immune activation, resulting in reduced infection control. Importantly, topical PAMPs (LPS and N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP)) restored immune activation and improved infection control in NSG mice in a manner that was also dependent on neutrophil's function. Conclusion: These findings provide direct experimental evidence that antibiotic efficacy requires synergy with host immunity. They highlight the therapeutic potential of augmenting innate immune activation to improve infection outcomes, particularly in immunocompromised patients.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Topical CCL3 Is Well-Tolerated and Improves Liver Function in Diabetic Mice: Evidence from a 14-Day Toxicity Study

  Cells · 2026-01-09

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Diabetic wounds exhibit impaired immune function, delayed neutrophils recruitment, and heightened infection risk which compromises early infection control and delays healing. We have demonstrated that topical CCL3 treatment restores neutrophil influx, reduces bacterial infection by ~99%, and accelerates wound healing in diabetic mice. As per Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Guidelines for Investigational New Drug (IND), we conducted a 14-day acute toxicity study in diabetic mice following a single topical administration of CCL3 at effective low dose (1 µg) and high dose (10 µg) per wound. Mice were monitored for clinical signs, body weight, and food intake throughout the study period. On day 14, serum biochemistry (ALT, AST, BUN, creatinine, metabolic markers) and histopathology of major organs (liver, kidney, heart, lungs, spleen) were assessed. CCL3-treated diabetic mice exhibited no adverse clinical effects. Hematological and biochemical parameters remained within normal limits, and histopathological analyses revealed no additional organ injury in CCL3-treated groups compared to diabetic control mice. Intriguingly, CCL3-treated mice showed improved ALT levels and reduced hepatic pathology, suggesting hepatoprotective effects and reduced serum IgG, indicating reduced systemic inflammation. Overall, our study demonstrates that diabetic mice tolerate topical CCL3 at doses up to 10 times the effective therapeutic concentration without evidence of systemic organ toxicity. These findings provide strong preclinical support for the translational development of CCL3 as a novel therapy for diabetic wound care.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Corrigendum to “Engineering of a bilayer antibacterial wound dressing from bovine pericardium and electrospun chitosan/PVA/antibiotics for infectious skin wounds management: An in vitro and in vivo study” [Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 282 (2024) 137055]

  International Journal of Biological Macromolecules · 2026-04-23

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Engineering of a Bilayer Film Made From Decellularized Amniotic Membrane and Emulsion for Skin Tissue Engineering Applications

  Polymers for Advanced Technologies · 2025-06-30 · 4 citations

  article

  ABSTRACT Amniotic membrane (AM) is a popular corneal reconstruction dressing. Low mechanical strength, high biodegradation, and difficult handling make its use in medical procedures problematic. The study involved decellularizing and lyophilizing AM, then covering it with a thin layer of a core‐shell structured emulsion of polycarbonate urethane (PCU) and silk fibroin (SF) using spinning at different speeds. This resulted in an ultrathin bilayer wound dressing membrane (less than 80 μm in thickness), which improved both mechanical behavior and transparency. The covering of PCU‐silk on AM created a three‐dimensional environment with nano/microstructures conducive to stem cell development and multiplication. The biological and mechanical properties of the bilayer membrane were meticulously analyzed in vitro. The scaffold exhibited markedly enhanced mechanical characteristics in comparison to additive manufacturing alone. The decellularized AM served as the outer layer, providing a biomimetic and biocompatible surface for cell adhesion and tissue regeneration. The core‐shell structure, consisting of PCU and silk, offered mechanical strength and flexibility to the dressing. The fabricated dressing was evaluated for its physical, biological, and mechanical properties. Results showed that the bilayer wound dressing possessed suitable characteristics for wound‐healing applications, such as high tensile strength, good biocompatibility, and enhanced cell adhesion properties. Overall, the developed dressing holds great promise for promoting wound healing and skin tissue regeneration.

  PublisherDOI

• Engineering of a biomechanically and biologically improved amniotic membrane using nanofibrous bacterial cellulose for healing of corneal defects

  Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications · 2025-05-14 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Despite the low mechanical strength and fast degradation of amniotic membrane (AM), it widely been used as corneal wound dressing for years. To overcome these limitations, we used AM with bacterial nano-cellulose (BC) to fabricate a bilayer membrane with improved biomechanical properties and restorative of corneal epithelium defects. The AM/BC bilayer scaffold was examined in vitro and in vivo for cytobiocompatibility, biomechanical strength, antibacterial properties, and corneal damage regeneration. The results affirmed a considerable improvement in mechanical strength of AM/BC, especially in wet conditions. In addition, this transparent scaffold had excellent cytobiocompatibility and cell attachment properties for corneal epithelium cells and exhibited significant reduction in the degradation rate. Histological examinations revealed that corneal defects treated with AM and AM/BC were fully re-epithelialized by days 7 and 21. In contrast, control wounds remained ruptured and showed collagen deposition after 21 days, while reductions in collagen synthesis were noted in the treated areas. Of note, the expression of the genes associated with corneal healing was upregulated in the wounds, confirming superior wound healing with minimal inflammation in AM and AM/BC compared with the control. Our data demonstrate the therapeutical potential of AM/BC as an excellent corneal scaffold for human corneal wounds.

  PublisherDOI

• Topical CCL3 Is Well-Tolerated and Improves Liver Function in Diabetic Mice: Evidence from a 14-Day Toxicity Study

  Preprints.org · 2025-12-26

  preprintOpen accessSenior author

  Diabetic wounds exhibit impaired immune function, delayed neutrophil recruitment, and heightened infection risk, which compromise early infection control and delays healing. We have demonstrated that topical CCL3 treatment restores neutrophil influx, reduces bacterial infection by ~99%, and accelerates wound healing in diabetic mice. As per Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Guidelines for Investigational New Drug (IND), we conducted a 14-day acute toxicity study in diabetic mice following a single topical administration of CCL3 at an effective low dose (1 µg) and high dose (10 µg) per wound. Mice were monitored for clinical signs, body weight, and food intake throughout the study period. On day 14, serum biochemistry (ALT, AST, BUN, creatinine, metabolic markers) and histopathology of major organs (liver, kidney, heart, lungs, spleen) were assessed. CLL3-treated diabetic mice exhibited no adverse clinical effects. Hematological and biochemical parameters remained within normal limits, and histo-pathological analyses revealed no additional organ injury in CCL3-treated groups compared to diabetic control mice. Intriguingly, CCL3-treated mice showed improved ALT levels and reduced hepatic pathology, suggesting hepatoprotective effects and reduced serum IgG, indicating reduced systemic inflammation. Overall, our study found that diabetic mice tolerate topical CCL3 at doses up to 10 µg without exhibiting any systemic organ toxicity. These findings provide strong preclinical support for the translational development of CCL3 as a novel therapy for diabetic wound care.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Closing Editorial: Immunopathogenesis of Bacterial Infection

  Cells · 2025-11-28 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Bacterial infections remain a persistent and evolving threat to human health worldwide [...].

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Engineering of a bilayer antibacterial wound dressing from bovine pericardium and electrospun chitosan/PVA/antibiotics for infectious skin wounds management: An in vitro and in vivo study

  International Journal of Biological Macromolecules · 2024-11-02 · 4 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Infection in Diabetes: Epidemiology, Immune Dysfunctions, and Therapeutics

  Contemporary diabetes · 2024-01-01 · 4 citations

  book-chapterOpen accessSenior author

  Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder that affects approximately 10% of the global population. Unfortunately, diabetic individuals are also at a high risk of developing diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), with an estimated 19–34% of individuals affected at some point in their lives. These DFUs are a leading cause of lower extremity amputations (LEAs), responsible for 60–70% of all cases, and have a 5-year mortality rate of approximately 49%. The mortality rate associated with DFUs is even more alarming when compared to that of all cancers, which is approximately 31%. The economic burden of DFUs is also staggering, with a global estimated cost of $78.2 billion USD. The incidence of DFUs is further compounded by the fact that 50–60% of cases develop infections, increasing the risk of amputation by 50% compared to patients with uninfected DFUs. This chapter aims to provide a comprehensive overview of infections in diabetes, with a particular focus on infections in DFUs. We will explore the microbiome shift toward pathogenic bacteria in DFU, and how this shift impacts healing outcomes. Additionally, we will examine various factors that make diabetic patients prone to infections, including dysregulations and dysfunctions in the innate immune system. Finally, we will review the conventional, unconventional, and emerging therapeutic options available to address infections in DFUs. By providing an in-depth understanding of the challenges associated with infections in diabetes, this chapter aims to contribute to the development of more effective treatment strategies that can help reduce the burden of DFUs on individuals and society as a whole.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Role of immune system in prophylaxis antibiotic's surgical site infection control

  NIH · $2.0M · 2020–2026

• Factors leading to enhanced Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in diabetic wounds

  NIH · $155k · 2015–2016

• NIH Grant F32AI054056

  NIH · $147k · 2006

• Factors Leading to Enhanced Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Infection in Diabetic Wounds

  NIH · $1.7M · 2016–2022

• Molecular dissection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Exotoxin T virulence functions

  NIH · $426k · 2015–2017

Frequent coauthors

• Stephen Wood

  Rush University Medical Center

  16 shared

• Mohammad Bayat

  Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences

  13 shared

• Josef W. Goldufsky

  Rush University Medical Center

  9 shared

• Timothy M. Kuzel

  9 shared

• Joanne N. Engel

  University of California, San Francisco

  8 shared

• Jochen Reiser

  Rush University Medical Center

  8 shared

• Mohamed F. Mohamed

  Beni-Suef University

  8 shared

• Sufan Chien

  Rice Institute

  8 shared

Labs

• Shafikhani Research LabPI

Education

• B.A. / Molecular Cellular Biology , Letters & Sciences

  University of California, Berkeley

• Ph.D, Microbiology

  University of California, Berkeley