Human skin is a complex and dynamic ecosystem with specific characteristics that vary
depending on the location of the body. Human skin is colonized with bacteria, fungi, and other microbes, which are called the skin microbiota or microbiome. Skin microbiota have been proven to be fundamental to skin physiology and immunity. Interactions between skin microbes and the host can be either beneficial (in a healthy homeostatic skin) or harmful (when the skin is colonised by pathogenic microbes causing disease). Host–microbe interactions depend heavily on the host genetic predisposition, the skin barrier function, the current immune activation status, the localization and one-to-one interactions with other microbes. Despite the increasing knowledge on skin microbiota dysbiosis in inflammatory skin diseases, therapeutic approaches targeting microbiota alterations are still missing in the management of common skin disorders, such as atopic dermatitis.
This Task Force (TF) aims to provide a translational approach from bench to bedside. More specifically, to bring microbiome research to the clinics in order to develop microbiome-based
therapeutic strategies. The main objectives of the TF are:

–  To summarize current knowledge on skin microbiota composition of the human body.
–  To describe specific dysbiosis associated to skin diseases.
–  To propose tools/ strategies intended to modulate skin microbiota composition.
–  To generate a Position Paper summarising the main findings including an algorithm for the management of inflammatory skin disorders.

Chair: Cristina Gomez-Casado
Secretary: Inge Kortekaas Krohn