A Calm, Dispassionate Look at Skin Microbiota in Atopic Dermatitis: An Integrative Literature Review

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic common inflammatory skin disorder with clinical characteristics of pruritic, dry, and recurrent flares that involve the whole body. Recent studies have demonstrated that the skin microbiota, characterized by an overgrowth of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), plays a critical role in the manifestation of AD. There is striking evidence that skin microbiota can modulate the development and progression of AD. Therefore, more and more therapeutic approaches are adopted for modifying skin microbiota. Here we discuss the role of skin microbiota in the etiology and maintenance of AD; furthermore, we summarize the effects of therapeutic treatments on skin microbiota in AD based on published literature. With the help of the theoretical guidance suggested by microbial metagenome analysis, the reconstitution of microbiota should be a promising way to harness the pathogens of AD and could be used as a brand-new therapeutic strategy in clinical trials. We believe that the targeted therapy of dysbiosis in AD may possibly become a unique approach to an integrated treatment program in the near future.