Studies of human microbes and potential perturbations

National Institute Of Arthritis And Musculoskeletal And Skin Diseases

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

In collaboration with many investigators inside and outside the NIH Clinical Center, we continue to investigate and publish our findings on the microbiota in healthy individuals (children and adults) and individuals such as patients with inflammatory skin conditions like atopic dermatitis and psoriasis, patients with inborn errors of immunity or primary immunodeficiencies [e.g. autosomal dominant hyper-IgE syndrome, DOCK8 deficiency, WHIM (warts, hypogammaglobulinemia, infections, myelokathexis) syndrome, hypomorphic RAG deficiency, APECED (autoimmune polyendocrinopathy candidiasis ectodermal dystrophy)], patients with cancer, individuals living in nursing homes, and patients with skin infections. In addition, we are studying the effects of interventions, for example systemic antibiotics, stem cell transplants, immunotherapy, and ultra-processed food and diets. We study bacteria, fungi, and viruses (including human papillomaviruses and Merkel cell polyomaviruses) of the skin microbiome using amplicon and shotgun metagenomic sequencing and other -omics platforms. The sequencing for this project in the early phases was supported by the National Institutes of Health Roadmap's The Human Microbiome Project. We are also using whole genome sequencing of cultured isolates to more deeply investigate the microbes that reside in and on humans.