Skin and Microbiome for Health

Inspiratie

Arriving at a state-of-the-art translational integrated Human Microbiome - Human Skin Equivalent model systems suitable for Personal Care Product development and ingredient testing

Periode

Looptijd

48 months

Deel van call / Programma

Projectpartners

TNO

In this project, we developed a new skin microbiome model for healthy skin, incorporating both the skin microbiome and cultured human skin. We demonstrated that a broad selection of skin microorganisms could grow on this model. Using a selection of microorganisms, we studied several aspects in more detail. Epidermal morphogenesis was affected by opportunistic microorganisms, whereas this remained well organized by co-culturing with commensal microorganisms.

We studied the reaction of skin tissue to the growth of skin microorganisms. We were able to show that there were species-specific reactions, with some species inducing a mild inflammatory response, while others did not.

Furthermore, we compared microbial growth on skin models of different complexities (only epidermis or both epidermis and dermis) and demonstrated that growth on the various models was comparable. Finally, we showed that we could influence the growth of skin microorganisms in the model.

In this project, we developed a model that allows for the investigation of the effects of substances on skin microorganisms and skin tissue without the need for animal testing. This model, which mimics healthy skin, can also be further developed to simulate specific skin diseases, enabling better study of these disease processes and screen for potential interventions.