Skin Biomes

Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2016 May;16(5):40. doi: 10.1007/s11882-016-0618-5.

Abstract

The cutaneous microbiome has been investigated broadly in recent years and some traditional perspectives are beginning to change. A diverse microbiome exists on human skin and has a potential to influence pathogenic microbes and modulate the course of skin disorders, e.g. atopic dermatitis. In addition to the known dysfunctions in barrier function of the skin and immunologic disturbances, evidence is rising that frequent skin disorders, e.g. atopic dermatitis, might be connected to a dysbiosis of the microbial community and changes in the skin microbiome. As a future perspective, examining the skin microbiome could be seen as a potential new diagnostic and therapeutic target in inflammatory skin disorders.

Keywords: Cutaneous microbial diversity; Inflammatory skin diseases; Metagenomics; Skin microbiome; Staphylococcus aureus.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Ecosystem
  • Humans
  • Metagenome
  • Microbiota*
  • Skin / microbiology*
  • Skin Diseases / microbiology*
  • Skin Diseases / pathology