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Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects up to 3% of people globally (Chen et al 2020). It can cause dry & flaky lesions on the skin and much discomfort to those that possess this disorder. The microbiome has been found to have dysbiotic effects on onset and progression, and its treatment can help alleviate the symptoms of this condition.
What we know:
Colonisation of the skin by certain pathogens has been associated with the onset or exacerbation of psoriasis lesions, including Staphylococcus aureus, Malassezia, and Candida albicans that are able to trigger cutaneous inflammatory responses through the secretion of microbial toxins and superantigenic factors (Fry & Baker, 2007)
Psoriatic skin lesions have been found to possess greater levels of alpha diversity and heterogeneity compared to healthy controls, with psoriatic skin being enriched for Staphylococcus aureus & Staphylococcus pettenkoferi and healthy skin possessing more Staphylococcus epidermidis & Cutibacterium acnes (Chang et al 2018)
The skin mycobiome has also been found as being more diverse in psoriatic skin compared to healthy controls, with non-Malassezia species making up 68.0% in patients with psoriasis compared to only 39.4% in controls (Takemoto et al 2014)
Wounds created by itching of psoriatic lesions can push epidermal bacteria further into the deep dermis or bloodstream to trigger an inflammatory response upon interaction with immune cells that can push the skin further into dysbiosis (Celoria et al 2023)
Probiotics have been considered a viable treatment for treating this disorder, with probiotic Lactobacillus pentosus administration reducing the level of erythema, scaling, and epidermal thickening of psoriatic mouse skin models compared to untreated controls (Chen et al 2017)
Industry impact & potential:
While many psoriasis-specific microbiome solutions have yet to be invented by cosmetic brands, some have devised a way to address the symptoms of this condition by working with the skin’s natural microbiota to promote health and modulation.
AxisBiotix Ltd has invented a live oral probiotic supplement that works with the body’s gut-skin axis to reduce the symptoms & appearance of psoriatic skin lesions.
Link to Sequential:
Sequential is an industry leader in skin microbiome testing solutions, where we offer an extensive range of models (skin, vagina/vulva, scalp, oral) for you to test the effects of your formulation on. If your brand is interested in investigating psoriasis, the microbiome, or other important biological endpoints, we offer end-to-end invivo microbiome testing, clinical measurements, as well as expert formulation advice to guide and support your product development.
References:
Celoria V, Rosset F, Pala V, Dapavo P, Ribero S, Quaglino P, Mastorino L. The Skin Microbiome and Its Role in Psoriasis: A Review. Psoriasis (Auckl). 2023 Oct 26;13:71-78. doi: 10.2147/PTT.S328439. PMID: 37908308; PMCID: PMC10614657.
Chang HW, Yan D, Singh R, Liu J, Lu X, Ucmak D, Lee K, Afifi L, Fadrosh D, Leech J, Vasquez KS, Lowe MM, Rosenblum MD, Scharschmidt TC, Lynch SV, Liao W. Alteration of the cutaneous microbiome in psoriasis and potential role in Th17 polarization. Microbiome. 2018 Sep 5;6(1):154. doi: 10.1186/s40168-018-0533-1. PMID: 30185226; PMCID: PMC6125946.
Chen L, Li J, Zhu W, Kuang Y, Liu T, Zhang W, Chen X, Peng C. Skin and Gut Microbiome in Psoriasis: Gaining Insight Into the Pathophysiology of It and Finding Novel Therapeutic Strategies. Front Microbiol. 2020 Dec 15;11:589726. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.589726. PMID: 33384669; PMCID: PMC7769758.
Chen YH, Wu CS, Chao YH, Lin CC, Tsai HY, Li YR, Chen YZ, Tsai WH, Chen YK. Lactobacillus pentosus GMNL-77 inhibits skin lesions in imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like mice. J Food Drug Anal. 2017 Jul;25(3):559-566. doi: 10.1016/j.jfda.2016.06.003. Epub 2016 Aug 5. PMID: 28911642; PMCID: PMC9328808.
Fry L, Baker BS. Triggering psoriasis: the role of infections and medications. Clin Dermatol. 2007 Nov-Dec;25(6):606-15. doi: 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2007.08.015. PMID: 18021899.
Takemoto, Akemi & Cho, Otomi & Morohoshi, Yuka & Sugita, Takashi & Muto, Masahiko. (2014). Molecular characterization of the skin fungal microbiome in patients with psoriasis. The Journal of Dermatology. 42. 10.1111/1346-8138.12739.
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