STEPHEN R. SCHWARTZ
International Research Services Inc, New York, USA

Abstract

The skins microbial community has been shown to influence the function of the skin, thus potentially participating in the pathophysiology of several important aspects of the skin as we age. With increased appreciation that “normal” microbial communities and diversity exist in equilibrium with us as hosts, strong evidence now shows that the skin microbiome interacts with the skins stratum corneum barrier and epidermis thus influencing cutaneous immunity and basic functions of barrier integrity and the ageing process.  Furthermore, manipulation and/or maintenance of the skin microbiome can influence overall skin health.

BACKGROUND

The skin is constantly exposed to various endogenous and exogenous insults which have the potential to initiate or exacerbate a variety of inflammatory skin conditions, including accelerated ageing. The barrier function of the skin especially those associated with barrier dysfunction. The barrier function of the skin depends upon a symbiotic relationship between resident microbial communities and host tissue (1, 2). This symbiosis results from complex signals involved in both the innate and adaptive immune responses. Recent research indicates that both bacterial diversity and the relative abundance of different microbes present on and in the skin, may contribute to skin barrier stability or dysfunction(3). The objectives of this review are to discuss the skin microbiota and skin barrier function and to consider mechanisms that may help its preservation.

MOLECULAR ANALYSIS OF SKIN MICROBIOME

Over the past decade, Genomic approaches to measure skin bacteria have shown a much greater diversity of organisms than previously recognized and shown by culture-based methods (4, 5). The most commonly utiliz ...