Vol. 1, Issue 1 (2012)

Author(s):
K Kumaresan and Sri Ranga Srinivas

Abstract:
Introduction and Background: Inflammation, immunological responses, and pathogen resistance are all affected by the skin microbiome, which is why it is so important for skin health. Targeted, sustained, and biocompatible drug delivery methods based on nanoparticles have recently arisen as a means to improve therapy efficacy and restore microbial equilibrium. This research looks at the makeup of the skin microbiome in conditions related to dermatology and assesses the efficacy of treatments based on nanotechnology.Materials and Methods: A total of 50 patients diagnosed with dermatological disorders were enrolled from a tertiary care dermatology center. This study was conducted at the Department of Pathology, Sri Muthukumaran Medical College Hospital and Research Institute Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India from the February 2011 to January 2012. In addition to ten healthy controls, the study comprised fifteen patients suffering from atopic dermatitis, fifteen from acne vulgaris, ten from psoriasis, and ten from chronic wounds. In order to identify microbial diversity and pathogenic overgrowth, skin swabs were taken and examined by 16S rRNA sequencing. Results: Significant dysbiosis was seen in all patient groups when microbiome investigation was performed. There was a threefold rise in the prevalence of Cutibacterium acnes in acne patients and a fourfold increase in Staphylococcus aureus in those with atopic dermatitis. In psoriasis patients, the diversity of microbes was reduced and pro-inflammatory bacteria were more prevalent; in chronic wounds, MRSA and multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the most common bacteria. Compared to traditional antibiotics, treatment with silver nanoparticles (50 nm,-30 mV zeta potential) resulted in an 80% decrease in bacterial load (p<0.01). Liposomal antibiotic formulations decreased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α) by 60% while simultaneously increasing medication penetration. Compared to the traditional treatment group, which exhibited a significant clinical improvement in 40% of patients, 70% of patients who received nanoparticle-based therapy did so in vivo. Conclusion: This work provides more evidence that microbiome dysbiosis plays a significant role in dermatological illnesses. Nanotechnology shows promise as an alternative to traditional treatments; silver nanoparticles and liposomal medication formulations showed better antibacterial action and decreased inflammation. Nanomedicine that targets the individual microbiome in an effort to improve dermatological care should be the subject of future studies.