New Transcriptomic Tool to Study Bacteria-host Interactions at StratiCELL

The importance of the skin microbiota is no longer a secret! Impact and influence of everyone’s flora on the skin balance and protection has been largely described. This is why new skincare products are continuously evaluated for their positive effects on this natural ecosystem. To remain closer to the biological reality, the use of in vitro 3D skin model remains undoubtfully the best testing system. This is why, in its MicroBIOS Platform, StratiCELL colonizes and monitors living cutaneous microorganisms on the stratum corneum of reconstructed epidermis.

The team has clearly demonstrated that the epidermis responds to the presence of the living microorganisms. Using high density DNA microarray analysis combined to its proprietary StratiCELL’s Skin Knowledge DataBase (SSKDB) (image 1), StratiCELL defined a panel of genes that are statistically influenced by the presence of bacterial (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Cutibacterium acnes) and yeast (Malassezia furfur) strains. Related biomarkers are described as key regulators of inflammation, innate immunity and skin barrier. Given their relevance as dermo-cosmetic targets, StratiCELL designed a complete qPCR array targeting 93 biomarkers related to the skin response to microorganisms, based on the TaqMan Low Density Array (TLDA) technology.

This transcriptomic tool is commonly used to measure and compare the simultaneous expression of a panel of genes in cells under various conditions and challenges. The newly designed TLDA Skin Response to Microorganisms could therefore be used to monitor the expression of significant genes in the context of infected reconstructed epidermis upon application of dermo-cosmetic ingredients (image 2). This powerful transcriptomic tool is definitively an important step forward in defining and understanding the mechanism of action of innovative compounds targeting the cutaneous microflora.

More information: https://straticell.com/microbios-platform/