Skin based viruses are still a mystery
Posted on: 04/Nov/2015 4:46:22 PM
Surveying the skin`s virus population Virome, researchers say most DNA viruses on healthy human skin are merely dark matters which are yet not described even by researching with state-of-the-art facilities. The research is also inclusive of developing set of virome analysis tool which are presently in use by researchers to perform further investigations.
There is a common understanding about microbiomes that they are microbes living on or within us. These can be life threatening in maintaining good health and have got the potential to cause diseases too. Skin resident bacteria also fall under the category. These are helpful in maintaining immunity level of the skin and keep harmful infections at bay. However, under certain conditions, they can act in the exactly opposite way.
There is a need for understanding the viruses, its potential effects on our skin cells, says a senior author Elizabeth A Grice, an assistant professor of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
This area is so far focused relatively lesser because of the technical challenges it places to the researchers. For instance, when a skin swab is analyzed, it will mainly contains human and bacterial DNA and just a very little of viral genetic material.
