Metagenomic approach in study and treatment of various skin diseases: a brief review

Abstract

Skin is a complex ecosystem hosting a diverse microbial population as well as distinct environmental niches leading to hundreds of skin conditions that affect humans. There is an evident shift towards the metagenomic analysis from less efficient and strenuous culture-based techniques in biomedical research, thus creating a new dimension for dermatological study. A systematic and comprehensive study of skin microbiome appraises the dynamics between species, their interaction with the immune system, and composition in diseases. Metagenomics include research techniques like next-generation sequencing, sequencing of amplicon-based assays, shotgun metagenomics, gene prediction, metatranscriptomics, and statistical and comparative studies allowing us to access the functional and metabolic diversity of the skin microbiome and their role in host health. In disorders like acne, dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, and bovine digital dermatitis, metagenomics provides information about the organisms present conferring the condition, inter-microbial interactions, and expression profiles of communities. We have enriched our understanding of the uncultured world resulting in a better understanding of microbe interaction with each other and their host. Metagenomic analysis provides glimpses into topographical and interpersonal complexity that defines the skin microbiome. It has led to an advanced study of dermatological disorders like acne, dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, bovine digital dermatitis, and psoriasis, and this knowledge is a breakthrough in dermatology research for creating better therapeutic solutions and personalized treatments.