Hydra And The Hair Follicle – An Unconventional Comparative Biology Approach To Exploring The Human Holobiont

March 2022 in “ BioEssays ”

Marta B. Lousada, Tim Lachnit, J. Edelkamp, Ralf Paus, Thomas C. G. Bosch

hair follicle microbiome host-microbiome interactions nutrient dependency microbial interactions host immunity microbiome-targeting therapies human skin diseases

Studysummary This paper reviews how studying the microbiome of the freshwater polyp Hydra can inform new, microbiome-targeting therapies for human hair follicle and skin diseases; it presents no new experimental findings. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

The study investigates using Hydra as a model to understand the human hair follicle (HF) microbiome, focusing on host-microbiota interactions, nutrient dependencies, and immune responses. Insights from Hydra, with its simpler microbiome, could inform therapies for HF-related conditions like alopecia by highlighting the role of lipid metabolism, antimicrobial peptides, and immune mechanisms in maintaining microbial balance. The research suggests that understanding these interactions in Hydra could guide therapeutic strategies, including probiotic treatments, to restore microbiome balance in human HFs.

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