title: The skin surface as antimicrobial barrier: present concepts and future outlooks.
abstract: Human skin protects the body as an outer barrier from various environmental threats and has to deal with an immense quantity of microbes comprising members of the own microbiota as well as potential pathogenic microbes. In this viewpoint, we highlight important cutaneous first-line defense barriers from the perspective of a microbe that tries to colonize and invade human skin. We place special emphasis on the role of antimicrobial peptides and the microbiota. In addition, we discuss and try to provide answers to some emerging issues concerning the various defense strategies of the epidermis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany. jharder@dermatology.uni-kiel.de
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harder
authors.forename: Jens-Michael
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Schröder
authors.forename: Regine
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gläser
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000898:Antibiosis; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D054892:Metagenome; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D012260:Ribonucleases / Q000378:metabolism; D000075023:S100 Calcium Binding Protein A7; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D023083:beta-Defensins / Q000378:metabolism; D054804:Cathelicidins
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex; D010455:Peptides; D000075023:S100 Calcium Binding Protein A7; D009418:S100 Proteins; C089242:S100A7 protein, human; D023083:beta-Defensins; D012260:Ribonucleases; C470000:Ribonuclease 7; D054804:Cathelicidins