The healthy skin is the habitat of many microorganisms or microbes, which are called the “skin microbiota”. Human skin has specific characteristics depending on the location of the body. Therefore, the colonization of the skin with microbiota also varies along the human body. During active skin diseases, such as atopic dermatitis or psoriasis, the local skin barrier is impaired, and the skin microbiota might be altered. Recently, the knowledge on specific changes in skin microbiota composition in skin diseases has been extensively increased due to an improved interest in the microbiota. However, therapies based on skin microbiota modifications in inflammatory skin disorders are not yet available.
Therefore, this task force aims to get together clinicians and researchers in the field of Dermatology, Immunology and Microbiology to study and discuss the scientific knowledge on the composition of skin microbiota in inflammatory skin disorders. The objectives of this project are to summarize the published studies, to design a decision-making algorithm for the clinicians managing skin diseases and to propose novel treatments for skin diseases based on the currently available literature on skin microbiota. We expect that this task force will contribute to increased insights and improved treatments to restore and maintain a healthy skin microbiome.

Basic & Clinical Immunology Section

Chair: Cristina Gomez-Casado
Secretary: Inge Kortekaas Krohn