Customized Skin Care Products Restoring Microbiome Balance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current dermatological treatments, such as antibiotics and anti-inflammatory agents, often fail to address the underlying causes of skin conditions by disrupting the skin microbiome, leading to imbalances or deficiencies in commensal and mutualistic microorganisms and metabolites.
Innovation Solution
A method involving Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and metabolome profiling to characterize the skin and subcutaneous tissue microbiome, comparing it to a healthy profile, and formulating customized skin care products to restore a healthy equilibrium by adding beneficial microorganisms and metabolites.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If antibiotics or anti-inflammatory agents are used to treat dermatological conditions, then the skin condition symptoms are alleviated, but the skin microbiome is disrupted and imbalanced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of conventional treatments (disrupting microbiome) into a beneficial approach by using probiotics and prebiotics to restore and maintain microbiome balance. The treatment formula intentionally introduces beneficial microorganisms and their metabolites to counteract the disruptive effects of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory agents, thereby achieving both symptom relief and microbiome preservation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the therapeutic parameters by shifting from purely antimicrobial or anti-inflammatory approaches to a multi-component formula including probiotics, prebiotics, and their metabolites. This parameter change enables simultaneous achievement of symptom alleviation and microbiome stabilization, resolving the contradiction between treatment effectiveness and microbiome preservation.
2Speed
If conventional dermatological treatments are applied, then immediate symptom relief is achieved, but the underlying cause related to microbiome imbalance is not addressed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by incorporating probiotics and prebiotics into the treatment formula before the microbiome can become severely imbalanced. The beneficial microorganisms and their metabolites are introduced proactively to prevent and address underlying microbiome issues, enabling both rapid symptom relief and root cause treatment simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses probiotics and prebiotics as intermediary substances that mediate between the harmful effects of pathogenic bacteria and the host's immune system. These intermediaries restore microbiome balance and create a favorable environment for healing, allowing immediate symptom relief while addressing the underlying microbiome cause.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the skin microbiome is disrupted to treat infections, then pathogenic bacteria are reduced, but commensal and mutualistic microorganisms are also impacted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful broad-spectrum effect of conventional antimicrobials into a beneficial targeted approach by using probiotics and prebiotics that selectively support beneficial commensal and mutualistic microorganisms while leaving pathogenic bacteria unaffected or indirectly controlled through microbiome restoration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the therapeutic parameters from non-selective antimicrobial action to selective microbiome support through probiotics and prebiotics. This parameter change enables the reduction of pathogenic bacteria while preserving and enhancing beneficial microorganisms, eliminating the trade-off between infection treatment and microbiome preservation.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a combination of experimental and computational workflows that allow characterization of skin and subcutaneous tissue microbial flora and its associated metabolome, aiming to first evaluate an individual's skin and subcutaneous tissue to determine if any skin condition is as a result of an imbalance or absence of commensal or mutualistic microorganisms or their associated metabolites. In particular, embodiments of the methods and the associated computational platform provided herein relate to conducting a customized or personalized test and obtaining customized or personalized information regarding the skin and subcutaneous tissue flora and its associated metabolome there from. This may be accomplished by simultaneously identifying hundreds of microorganisms or metabolites on an individual's skin and subcutaneous tissue and comparing the resulting profile to a previously compiled healthy profile from our database of skin profiles. An individual's profile provides the basis of a proprietary probiotic skin care product and personal care products that either maintains a health profile or shifts the individual's skin and subcutaneous tissue flora or its associated metabolome close to a healthy profile, at the same time enhancing the synergies between the microbial flora and host's immune system.