Growing Skin with Bacteria Mimics Real Skin Better Researchers develop a new method that allows the presence of microorganisms

While billions of microorganisms live on our skin, they are often not taken into account in research on skin diseases. An innovation from Radboud university medical center changes that. Researchers have developed a method that allows them to grow artificial skin in the presence of bacteria and fungi. This enables them to better study skin diseases and new treatments.

On the top layer of our skin, the stratum corneum, billions of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi reside. This diverse collection is known as the skin's microbiome. Normally, these guests do not cause any issues. In fact, they often have a protective effect. However, when the microbiome's composition becomes imbalanced, it affects skin health, like in eczema and acne. An innovation from Radboud university medical center enables scientists to investigate the interaction between microorganisms and the skin more effectively, improving their understanding and treatment of skin diseases.

Cultivated Skin

Ellen van den Bogaard, the study’s lead researcher from the Dermatology department, has been cultivating artificial skin in her laboratory for years. She grows skin cells slowly in round plastic containers, resulting in a genuine piece of skin with a cornified layer. Until now, microorganisms were not taken into account in this process. This is quite different from the real situation. Van den Bogaard explains why: ‘In the past, we tried to prevent bacteria from getting into the cultured skin. The stratum corneum of the cultured skin is less strong at the edges of the culture plastic. There, the barrier is leaky, allowing bacteria and fungi to penetrate all layers of the skin. This causes skin cells to die, making it impossible to conduct research.’

The solution that researcher Gijs Rikken found for this problem appears quite simple. He found a glass cylinder in the laboratory's drawers. It is a tube with open ends on both sides, slightly smaller in diameter than the plastic container in which the skin is grown. He placed this cylinder in the middle of the cultured skin, away from the edges of the culture plastic, and added bacteria to it. The cylinder acted as a dam, preventing the bacteria from reaching the weaker edges of the cultured skin. This prevents contamination of the deeper skin layers. Researchers can now, for the first time, study the natural interaction between the microbiome and the skin for an extended period. Another application is testing medications on the cultured skin.

No Rocket Science

The researchers state that their new method is simple and widely applicable. Van den Bogaard: ‘Placing the cylinder is not exactly rocket science, and you do not need expensive new equipment for it. Virtually every laboratory has these cylinders. By approaching the real situation more closely, this innovation also contributes to a reduction in animal testing. It really takes the research in this field a step further, in my opinion. And it does not stop there. Consider, for example, testing the effects of cosmetics on the skin. This can now be done in a much more lifelike manner.’

About the publication

This study was published in Microbiome: Novel methodologies for host-microbe interactions and microbiome-targeted therapeutics in 3D organotypic skin models. G. Rikken, L.D. Meesters, P.A.M. Jansen, D. Rodijk‑Olthuis, I.M. J. J. van Vlijmen‑Willems, H. Niehues, J.P.H. Smits, P. Oláh, B. Homey, J. Schalkwijk, P.L.J.M. Zeeuwen, E.H. van den Bogaard. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-023-01668-x.

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