Fascinating state of the art research, funded by the National Psoriasis Foundation, NPF, is looking more deeply into the way skin microbes communicate with each other, and how they influence the immune system’s ability to respond to infection.
The Lozick Discovery Research Grant has been awarded to Pranab Mukherjee, Ph.D, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio to “study the role of the skin microbiome and mycobiome in the development of psoriasis — believed to impact the development of psoriasis lesions.”
The grant winner went into further detail to explain this astonishing “cross-talk”, saying, “The microbes living on our skin ‘talk’ to each other and to our immune systems by secreting small molecules such as proteins and peptides. This influences the way our immune system reacts. In healthy skin there is a happy balance among the microbes themselves and with the immune system. The good microbes keep any bad ones in check and this helps the immune system function normally.”
His research, which concentrates on the possible implications of the relationship of microbiomes in psoratic disease, aims to find an effective therapy based on restoring the natural balance between these organisms and the immune system. This potential treatment would have very few side effects, if any, in comparison to current immunosuppressive treatments.
Dr. Mukherjee explains exciting new progress, “We now have a high-end DNA sequencing tool that can give us a snapshot of the microbiome community living on skin affected by psoriasis, as well as on unaffected healthy skin. If we find a particular bacterium or fungus is responsible for the development of psoriatic lesions, then we can design medications that target these organisms.”
The skin has trillions of bacteria and fungi living on it that create this microbiome — which may be a trigger for exaggerated immune system responses, including psoriasis, when they become imbalanced. The research is focused on identifying the specific microbes that are involved and how they affect the immune response, which may lead to new therapies, such as utilizing the beneficial microbes in a “probiotic cream or lotion” which could be applied to reduce psoriatic lesions by controlling the “bad” microbes to restore immune balance.
Dr. Mukherjee adds, “Another possibility is taking a sample of healthy skin from a patient, multiplying beneficial microbes in growth medium concentrating them in a centrifuge and then applying them to the patient’s psoriatic skin to return the microbiome to a normal state.”
While this research is still in its early stages, it could mean a world of difference for people currently dealing with chronic skin conditions. At the very least, this new knowledge will allow for a better understanding of how the immune system influences the health and quality of the skin.