Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36722970›Full record

ArticlemSystems2023

The Molecular Effect of Wearing Silver-Threaded Clothing on the Human Skin.

Alexey V Melnik, Chris Callewaert, Kathleen Dorrestein, Rosie Broadhead, Jeremiah J Minich, Madeleine Ernst, Greg Humphrey, Gail Ackermann, Rob Gathercole, Alexander A Aksenov and 2 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in mSystems, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.3field-weighted citation impact, top 13% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Microbiome and well-being: a meta-analysis.NPJ biofilms and microbiomes · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. The skin microbiome in dermatologic disease.Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology · 2025
    Review
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.

Alexey V Melnik *Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Chris Callewaert *Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Kathleen Dorrestein *Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Rosie BroadheadCenter for Microbial Ecology and Technology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Jeremiah J MinichPlant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California, USA.
Madeleine ErnstCollaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Greg HumphreyDepartment of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Gail AckermannDepartment of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Rob GathercoleProduct Innovation team, Lululemon, Vancouver, Canada.
Alexander A AksenovCollaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Rob KnightDepartment of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Pieter C DorresteinCollaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
University of California, San Diego · USGhent University · BESalk Institute for Biological Studies · USStatens Serum Institut · DK

Funding

TrainingP41GM103484 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI BANDEIRA, NUNO · 2012 to 2018
$8.7M
Unified Computation Tools for Natural Products ResearchR01GM107550 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI COTTRELL, GARRISON W, GERWICK, WILLIAM HENRY · 2013 to 2025
$8.2M
NIGMS NIH HHS P41 GM103484NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM107550
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

With growing awareness that what we put in and on our bodies affects our health and wellbeing, little is still known about the impact of textiles on the human skin. Athletic wear often uses silver threading to improve hygiene, but little is known about its effect on the body's largest organ. In this study, we investigated the impact of such clothing on the skin's chemistry and microbiome. Samples were collected from different body sites of a dozen volunteers over the course of 12 weeks. The changes induced by the antibacterial clothing were specific for individuals, but more so defined by gender and body site. Unexpectedly, the microbial biomass on skin increased in the majority of the volunteers when wearing silver-threaded T-shirts. Although the most abundant taxa remained unaffected, silver caused an increase in diversity and richness of low-abundant bacteria and a decrease in chemical diversity. Both effects were mainly observed for women. The hallmark of the induced changes was an increase in the abundance of various monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), especially in the upper back. Several microbe-metabolite associations were uncovered, including

Indexed as

MicrobiotaPropionibacteriaceaeBacteriaClothingFemaleHumansSilverSkinTextilesSilverclothingoutfitsilver-threaded clothingskin chemistryskin microbiome

Identifiers

PMID36722970
PMCPMC9948701
OpenAlexW4318755043

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.