Skin microbiome of atopic dermatitis

The skin microbiome is a key component of pathogenesis in atopic dermatitis (AD). The skin of AD patients is characterized by microbial dysbiosis, with a reduction of microbial diversity and overrepresentation of pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Recent exciting studies have elucidated an importance of establishing an appropriate immune response to microbes in early life and uncovered the new mechanisms of microbial community dynamics in modulating our skin microbiome. Several microbes are associated with AD pathogenesis, with proposed pathogenic effects from S. aureus and Malassezia. The complex relationships between microbes within the skin microbiome consortia includes various species, such as Staphylococcal, Roseomonas and Cutibacterium strains, that can inhibit S. aureus and are potential probiotics for AD skin. Numerous microbes are now also reported to modulate host response via communication with keratinocytes, specialized immune cells and adipocytes to improve skin health and barrier function. This increased understanding of skin microbiota bioactives has led to new biotherapeutic approaches that target the skin surface microenvironment for AD treatment. Copyright (c) 2021, Japanese Society of Allergology. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

The skin microbiome plays a crucial role in the development of atopic dermatitis (AD). AD patients have an imbalanced skin microbiome with reduced microbial diversity and an overgrowth of pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Recent studies have highlighted the importance of establishing a proper immune response to microbes early in life and have uncovered new mechanisms of microbial community dynamics in modulating the skin microbiome. Several microbes, including S. aureus and Malassezia, are associated with AD pathogenesis. The complex relationships within the skin microbiome consortia involve various species such as Staphylococcal, Roseomonas, and Cutibacterium strains, which can inhibit S. aureus and have the potential to be probiotics for AD skin. Additionally, numerous microbes have been found to modulate the host response, improving the health and barrier function of the skin through communication with keratinocytes, specialized immune cells, and adipocytes. This increased understanding of the bioactives of skin microbiota has led to new biotherapeutic approaches targeting the skin microenvironment for AD treatment.