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What Role Does the Skin Microbiome Play in the Complex Process of Wound Healing?


What Role Does the Skin Microbiome Play in the Complex Process of Wound Healing?

The interplay between skin wounds and the skin microbiome presents a captivating area of study. While the precise mechanisms remain elusive, ongoing research is unravelling how the microbiome influences wound healing, shedding light on both facilitative and inhibitory roles. 


What We Know:


  • When the skin barrier is compromised due to injury, it enables the colonisation of microbes not typically present on the skin or the transfer of microbiota components to areas where they aren't normally found. Research indicates that microbiota may play a beneficial role in wound healing by regulating the innate immune response and promoting tissue regeneration (Yang et al., 2024).


  • Burn injuries are an example of acute wounds, which increase the permeability of the skin, thus allowing skin microbes to penetrate deeper tissues, leading to possible infections. Therefore, burns significantly change the skin's microbial balance, favouring heat-loving microbes like Aeribacillus, Caldalkalibacilus and Nesterenkonia, while reducing helpful bacteria like Cutibacteria, Staphylococci and Corynebacteria. These shifts are linked to specific wound healing outcomes; higher levels of Corynebacterium are associated with infections, while Staphylococci and Cutibacteria are linked to lower infection rates post-burn (Yang et al., 2024).


  • Research found that invasive moulds, including those from the Mucorales, Aspergillus and Fusarium species, were found to considerably prolong wound closure compared to non-fungal infected wounds with similar injury patterns. Enterococci was often observed in conjunction with invasive fungal infections, heightening the complexity of traumatic wounds (Warkentien et al., 2015).


Industry Impact and Potential:


  • Understanding microbe-host interactions in wounds can inform future therapeutic interventions, paving the way for microbiota-based mechanisms in wound treatment (Yang et al., 2024).


  • Research has demonstrated that commensals play a vital role in initiating innate immune responses. Resident commensals and even generally pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus promote skin regeneration and wound-induced hair follicle growth (Wang et al., 2021).


  • Studies have shown that Lactobacillus spp. enhance keratinocyte proliferation and migration and prevent biofilm formation. Animal models also showed the beneficial effects of these probiotics, as well as Bifidobacteria and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in reducing pathogen colonisation and biofilm formation, facilitating tissue repair and reducing excessive scarring (Yang et al., 2024).


Our Solution:


Unlock the potential of microbiome-based wound healing products with Sequential's comprehensive end-to-end Microbiome Product Testing Solution. Whether used independently or alongside our expert-guided product development and formulation services, this holistic approach empowers your business to pioneer innovative solutions for addressing skin conditions.


References:



Warkentien, T.E., Shaikh, F., Weintrob, A.C., Rodriguez, C.J., Murray, C.K., Lloyd, B.A., Ganesan, A., Aggarwal, D., Carson, M.L., Tribble, D.R., & on behalf of the Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program Trauma Infectious Disease Outcomes Study Group (2015) Impact of Mucorales and Other Invasive Molds on Clinical Outcomes of Polymicrobial Traumatic Wound Infections. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 53 (7), 2262–2270. doi:10.1128/jcm.00835-15.


Yang, Y., Huang, J., Zeng, A., Long, X., Yu, N. & Wang, X. (2024) The role of the skin microbiome in wound healing. Burns & Trauma. 12, tkad059. doi:10.1093/burnst/tkad059.

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