Project description:Skin bacteria impact melanoma related pathways Melanoma represents the most lethal form of skin cancer, with rising numbers of annual incidences worldwide. In an effort to identify new risk factors that promote melanoma development, the contribution of the skin microbiome gained increasing attention. Previous studies already demonstrated an altered composition of the skin microbiome on melanoma sites. Yet, the underlying mechanisms of the interplay between the microbiome and melanoma progression remain elusive. We established a novel co-culture system capable to study host microbiome interactions during melanoma progression in situ. This system consists of a commercial 3D melanoma skin model colonized with skin bacteria obtained from a skin swab of a healthy volunteer. The models showed a stable co-colonization over a period of 12 days, with Streptococcus being the most abundant genus on the last day of cultivation. Transcriptome profiles revealed significant differences in colonized models compared to control. In particular, pathways involved in melanoma progression, like RAF/MAP and PI3K kinase, were upregulated in colonized models. This correlates with the augmented release of the cytokines VEGF, PIGF, and GM-CSF as well as the typical melanoma markers MIA and S100B. Furthermore, the data were supported by an active epithelial-mesenchymal transition in colonized skin models. Taken together, the bacterial community seems to promote the progression of melanoma in our established system, hence we provide an elegant method to elucidate the microbiome’s impact on cancer development in situ.
Project description:In this study, we conducted an integrated analysis of skin measurements, clinical BSTI surveys, and the skin microbiome of 950 Korean subjects to examine the ideal skin microbiome-biophysical association. By utilizing four skin biophysical parameters, we identified four distinct Korean Skin Cutotypes (KSCs) and categorized the subjects into three aging groups based on their age distribution. We established strong connections between 15 core genera and the four KSC types within the three aging groups, revealing three prominent clusters of the facial skin microbiome. Together with skin microbiome variations, skin tone/elasticity distinguishes aging groups while oiliness/hydration distinguishes individual differences within aging groups. Our study provides prospective reality data for customized skin care based on the microbiome environment of each skin type.
Project description:Palaeoproteomic study of mummified human skin using a non-destructive sampling technique, based on mixed-bed chromatographic media stabilised on ethylene vinyl acetate membranes (“EVA”), which had previously been used exclusively on historical material, was successful in extracting ancient proteins from the surface of Ancient Egyptian mummies. We tested the method on a decontextualised fragment of skin and assessed the endogeneity of its metaproteome by comparison with a procedural blank. Furthermore, we retrieved and authenticated sequences of collagen and keratin from the mummy of a young woman (Supp. 16747 of the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography of the University of Turin) who lived and died between 2400 and 2200 BC, during the Old Kingdom of Egypt.