A new article published in Pediatric Research discussed that human skin hosts a diverse microbiota; dysregulated interactions between host and microbiome may contribute to chronic inflammatory disease of the skin.

The authors stated that neonatal skin is a unique habitat, structurally similar to the adult yet, with a different profile of metabolic substrates, environmental stressors and immune activity. Its surface is colonized within moments after birth, with a bias toward maternal strains. Initial colonists are outcompeted as environmental exposures increase and host skin matures. Nonetheless, early life microbial acquisitions may have long-lasting effects on health through modulation of host immunity and competitive interactions between bacteria.

The article summarized that advancement in understanding molecular mechanisms of bacterial competition opens new avenues of investigation into dermatological disease. Primary development of the skin microbiome is determined by immunological features of cutaneous habitat. Moreover, understanding coordinated microbial and immunological development in the pediatric patient requires a multidisciplinary synthesis of primary literature.

Source: Pediatric Research.2020 Sep 12. doi: 10.1038/s41390-020-01146-2.