Are the Cutaneous Microbiota a Guardian of the Skin's Physical Barrier? The Intricate Relationship between Skin Microbes and Barrier Integrity

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 24; no. 21; p. 15962
• Main Authors: Szabó, Kornélia, Bolla, Beáta Szilvia, Erdei, Lilla, Balogh, Fanni, Kemény, Lajos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.11.2023
• Subjects: Acne; acne vulgaris; Acne Vulgaris - microbiology; Atopic dermatitis; barrier disease; cutaneous microbiota; Cutibacterium acnes; Dermatitis; Dermatitis, Atopic - pathology; Enzymes; Epidermis - pathology; Fatty acids; Humans; Hydration; Immunology; Keratin; Lipids; Microbiology; Microbiota; Microbiota (Symbiotic organisms); Permeability; Skin; Skin - pathology; skin barrier; acne vulgaris; barrier disease; skin barrier; Cutibacterium acnes; cutaneous microbiota
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115962

The skin is a tightly regulated, balanced interface that maintains our integrity through a complex barrier comprising physical or mechanical, chemical, microbiological, and immunological components. The skin's microbiota affect various properties, one of which is the establishment and maintenance of the physical barrier. This is achieved by influencing multiple processes, including keratinocyte differentiation, stratum corneum formation, and regulation of intercellular contacts. In this review, we summarize the potential contribution of to these events and outline the contribution of bacterially induced barrier defects to the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris. With the combined effects of a Westernized lifestyle, microbial dysbiosis, epithelial barrier defects, and inflammation, the development of acne is very similar to that of several other multifactorial diseases of barrier organs (e.g., inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, asthma, atopic dermatitis, and chronic rhinosinusitis). Therefore, the management of acne requires a complex approach, which should be taken into account when designing novel treatments that address not only the inflammatory and microbial components but also the maintenance and strengthening of the cutaneous physical barrier.