A new study published in the Environmental Research Journal showed the beneficial effects of the skin microbiome (SMB) in preventing solar damage when exposed to UV radiation on a regular basis.

Before and after the summer season, 10 lifeguards skin swabs were collected. While both revealed a comparable quantity of skin microorganisms, it was discovered that certain less prevalent species showed considerable alterations. Compared to the baseline, new taxa were discovered in the SMB at the seasons conclusion.

The new taxa included species like Sphingomonas and Erythrobacteraceae which were capable of mitigating the harmful effects of UV radiation. Sphingomonas demonstrated significant levels of UVR resistance at 254 nm and 312 nm, with exposures ranging from 8-20 mJ/sq. cm. and 122-366 mJ/sq. cm., respectively.

Over half of the swabs showed increased abundance of these two species, demonstrating their capacity to survive UVR.

In vitro studies revealed that exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation-induced a threefold increase in ROS levels, which the addition of antioxidants such as N-acetylcysteine may decrease.

A similar impact, resulting in a quarter drop in ROS levels, was found when the cells were introduced to a solution containing the lysate or supernatant from a Sphingomonas culture but not an E. coli culture.

The study thus found that bacterial species capable of protecting the skin from the harmful effects of solar UVR increased over lengthy periods of sun exposure, despite the lack of any substantial change in the overall composition of the SMB.

 (Source:  https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230419/Does-the-skin-microbiome-contribute-to-protection-from-prolonged-solar-damage.aspx)