SFB TRR 156/1 TP A01

How skin inflammation is shaped by interaction of Staphylococcus aureus with skin cells and skin microbiota

01.07.2015 bis 30.06.2019

The skin of atopic dermatitis (AD) patients but not of healthy individuals is usually colonized by Staphylococcus aureus, which is thought to contribute to skin inflammation. The capacities of S. aureus to prevail in AD skin microbiota and modulate skin inflammation have hardly been investigated. We have explored pro- and anti-inflammatory S. aureus molecules, studied mechanisms of microbiota interaction, and established in vitro and in vivo skin colonization models. We will analyse how S. aureus adjusts a favourable level of skin inflammation and which role bacteriocins or metabolic capacities play in the competition with other skin bacteria. Our project should help to find new ways for treating bacteria-associated skin disorders.