The Effect of Stem Cell Transplantation on Skin Microorganisms
Nadine Bayer, PhD (MedUni Vienna), presents her Leukemia (Nature) paper on microbial skin recolonization and immune response after allogeneic stem cell transfer.
Webinar
The Effect of Stem Cell Transplantation on Skin Microorganisms
12 Feb, 2023
Webinar Summary
Title: Disturbances in Microbial Skin Recolonization and Cutaneous Immune Responses Following Stem Cell Transplantation
In this TG Academy webinar, Dr. Nadine Bayer (Medical University of Vienna, Starry Lab) presents her team’s recent publication in Leukemia (Nature). The study investigates how allogeneic stem cell transplantation affects the skin microbiome and local immune responses, particularly in the context of acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD).
Link to paper https://www.nature.com/articles/s41375-022-01712-z
Key findings:
- Skin vs. gut microbiome: Unlike the gut, the skin microbiome showed more stable diversity after transplantation. However, reduced alpha diversity in skin samples correlated with GvHD onset and severity.
- Staphylococcus overgrowth: Lesional skin of GvHD patients displayed an increase in Staphylococcus species, confirmed by FISH and cultivation, suggesting a role in amplifying cutaneous inflammation.
- Immune modulation: Transcriptomic analysis revealed upregulation of innate and adaptive immune pathways (e.g., TLR signaling, antigen presentation, NF-κB activation) at critical post-transplantation time points.
The findings highlight the skin microbiome as a potential driver of local immune dysregulation in GvHD and emphasize the importance of integrating microbial and immune profiling in post-transplant monitoring.
