ABSTRACT
This chapter describes methods to restore the natural skin barrier defects that are important factors contributing to the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD). Two major defects of functionally interconnected barriers that need to be restored in the skin of AD patients are physical and immune barriers. One main function of the skin is to serve as a physical barrier between an organism’s internal and external environments. The chapter focuses on restoring these barriers by topically applied and eco-friendly methods. Restoration therapy would, over time, be more eco-friendly, as fewer synthetic medications would be produced, used, and disposed of into the environment. Commensal bacteria restoration in both human patients and animal models has been shown to help in treating or even curing various diseases related to dysbiosis. Despite the many advantages, challenges involving delivery, bioavailability, and production cost will need to be solved to ensure the efficacy and practicality of antimicrobial peptide restoration therapy.
