title: Pre- and probiotics for human skin.
abstract: Current research on the complex interplay between the microbiota, the barrier function and the innate immune system of the skin indicates that the skin's microbiota have a beneficial role, much like that of the gut microflora. As a consequence, interest in strategies beyond antibiotica that allow a more selective modulation of the skin microflora is constantly growing. This review will briefly summarize our current understanding of the cutaneous microbiota and summarize existing information on pre- and probiotic strategies for skin.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Umweltmedizinische Forschung at the Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf gGmbH, Auf'm Hennekamp 50, D-4025 Düsseldorf, Germany. krutmann@rz.uni-duesseldorf.de
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Krutmann