ArticleCell host & microbe2022
Commensal Staphylococcus epidermidis contributes to skin barrier homeostasis by generating protective ceramides.
Article in Cell host & microbe, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 171 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
171 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 239 citations in OpenAlex.
- Research hotspots and trends of skin barrier in atopic dermatitis in the past 24-year: a bibliometric analysis.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Commensal Cutibacterium acnes-derived indolelactic acid safeguards skin barrier function through the aryl hydrocarbon receptor.Cell reports. Medicine · 2026Trial
- Trial
- Skin-Microbiome Assembly in Preterm Infants during the First Three Weeks of Life and Impact of Topical Coconut Oil Application.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Trial
- Skin commensal bacteriumMicrobiology spectrum · 2026Article
- What is in the Dust? Species-Level Profiling Reveals Pathogenic and Protective Potential of Microbial Communities in Daycare and Home Environments.Environmental microbiology reports · 2026Article
- From Antimicrobial Activity to Topical Translation: An Integrated Framework for Testing, Cytotoxicity Assessment and Formulation of Plant Extracts, Essential Oils and Honey.Pharmaceutics · 2026Review
- Vitamin D and antimicrobial peptides in skin health and disease: Mechanisms and therapeutic potential.Biochemistry and biophysics reports · 2026Review
- Review
- Elucidating the Impact of Bacterial Composition and Diversity on Skin Homeostasis Using a Human 3D In Vitro Skin Model.Microorganisms · 2026Article
- Microbiome and aging: Trajectories of microbiome age across human ecosystems and their systemic effects.iMeta · 2026Review
- The Bacterial Landscape of Facial Skin: From Homeostasis to Skin Conditions.Dermatology and therapy · 2026Review
- Skin Microbiome in Health and Disease: Dysbiosis and the Emerging Role of Biotics in Therapy and Protection.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Omics-based decoding of molecular and metabolic crosstalk in the skin barrier ecosystem.Cell death and differentiation · 2026Review
- Skin metatranscriptomics reveals a landscape of variation in microbial activity and gene expression across the human body.Nature biotechnology · 2026Article
- Review
- Effects of Tranexamic Acid in Combination with Teicoplanin AgainstInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Development of an ex vivo skin model for quantitative recovery and preservation of donor-specific human microbiota.BMC microbiology · 2026Article
- Review
- Protecting Newborns from Multidrug-Resistant Infections: The Emerging Role of Bacteriophages.Viruses · 2026Review
111 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Previously either regarded as insignificant or feared as potential sources of infection, the bacteria living on our skin are increasingly recognized for their role in benefitting human health. Skin commensals modulate mucosal immune defenses and directly interfere with pathogens; however, their contribution to the skin's physical integrity is less understood. Here, we show that the abundant skin commensal Staphylococcus epidermidis contributes to skin barrier integrity. S. epidermidis secretes a sphingomyelinase that acquires essential nutrients for the bacteria and assists the host in producing ceramides, the main constituent of the epithelial barrier that averts skin dehydration and aging. In mouse models, S. epidermidis significantly increases skin ceramide levels and prevents water loss of damaged skin in a fashion entirely dependent on its sphingomyelinase. Our findings reveal a symbiotic mechanism that demonstrates an important role of the skin microbiota in the maintenance of the skin's protective barrier.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.