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What is the Role of Fungi in the Skin’s Microbiome?



What is the Role of Fungi in the Skin’s Microbiome?


As the second most prevalent group of microbes found on the skin, fungi play an important role in regulating several processes related to skin immunity and disease. Although the skin mycobiome remains understudied, studies have begun to unmask the true extent of their involvement in skin function and health.


Outline of research:


  • Fungal colonisation plays an important role in developing and diversifying the early skin microbiome, mode of delivery also has an effect with vaginally born infants possessing more Malassezia and Candida albicans than Caesarean-born infants (Vijaya Chandra et al., 2021; Ward et al., 2018)

  • This composition changes as an individual ages, with sex hormones like oestradiol and testosterone released during puberty causing an increase in the proportion of lipophilic taxa such as Malassezia and decreasing overall diversity (Nguyen & Kalan, 2022)

  • The healthy skin mycobiome is most commonly composed of Malassezia spp. that colonise oily regions of the face like the sebaceous glands and can comprise up to 80% of the total fungal mycobiome (Gao et al., 2010)

  • Malassezia spp. have been found to play possible roles in training the immune system and disrupting Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation via enzyme secretion to prevent infection (Vijaya Chandra et al., 2021; Li et al., 2018)

  • Mycobiome dysbiosis (i.e., changes in the proportion of certain fungal populations of the skin) has been linked to dermatological conditions such as pityriasis versicolor, pityrosporum folliculitis (fungal acne), and seborrheic dermatitis (Vijaya Chandra et al., 2021)

  • Certain groups of fungi and bacteria can also work together to impair tissue repair during wound healing by forming polymicrobial biofilms that mediate inflammation and affect the quality of the host immune response (Cheong et al., 2021)


Industry impact and potential:


  • Many brands that seek to be mycobiome friendly and sensitive to fungal skincare conditions have started implementing ingredients such as: pyrithione zinc, azelaic acid, ketoconazole and sulphur. 

  • Head & Shoulders is one of the most notable brands to have antifungal and Malassezia effects, containing active ingredients such as Salicylic Acid, Ketoconazole, and Selenium Sulphide that help to fight and control associated conditions such as seborrheic dermatitis.


Our solution:


Sequential offers bespoke services to develop and test the effects of your formulation on the skin, across both the face and scalp to support a healthy skin mycobiome and help prevent dysbiosis. Our Gold Standard Certification ensures your products are mycobiome-friendly and safe for use by customers suffering from dysbiotic conditions such as seborrheic dermatitis or pityrosporum folliculitis.


References:


Cheong, J.Z.A., Johnson, C.J., Wan, H. et al. Priority effects dictate community structure and alter virulence of fungal-bacterial biofilms. ISME J 15, 2012–2027 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41396-021-00901-5


Gao ZPerez-Perez GIChen Y, Blaser MJ 2010.Quantitation of Major Human Cutaneous Bacterial and Fungal Populations. J Clin Microbiol48:.https://doi.org/10.1128/jcm.00597-10


Li H, Goh BN, Teh WK, Jiang Z, Goh JPZ, Goh A, Wu G, Hoon SS, Raida M, Camattari A, Yang L, O'Donoghue AJ, Dawson TL Jr. Skin Commensal Malassezia globosa Secreted Protease Attenuates Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm Formation. J Invest Dermatol. 2018 May;138(5):1137-1145. doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2017.11.034. Epub 2017 Dec 12. PMID: 29246799.


Nguyen UT, Kalan LR. Forgotten fungi: the importance of the skin mycobiome. Curr Opin Microbiol. 2022 Dec;70:102235. doi: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.102235. Epub 2022 Nov 11. PMID: 36372041; PMCID: PMC10044452.


Vijaya Chandra SH, Srinivas R, Dawson TL Jr, Common JE. Cutaneous Malassezia: Commensal, Pathogen, or Protector? Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2021 Jan 26;10:614446. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.614446. PMID: 33575223; PMCID: PMC7870721.


Ward TL, Dominguez-Bello MG, Heisel T, Al-Ghalith G, Knights D, Gale CA.2018.Development of the Human Mycobiome over the First Month of Life and across Body Sites. mSystems3:10.1128/msystems.00140-17.https://doi.org/10.1128/msystems.00140-17

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