On Tuesday 22 June 2021, M.M.F. van Mierlo will defend her PhD dissertation, entitled: ‘The Microbiome and the Skin Barrier in Atopic Dermatitis: Towards personalized treatment’.
- Promotor
- Co-promotor
- Date
- Tuesday 22 Jun 2021, 10:30 - 12:00
- Type
- PhD defence
- Space
- Professor Andries Querido room
- Building
- Education Center
- Location
- Erasmus MC
Atopic dermatitis (AD), also known as eczema, is a chronic inflammatory skin disease which affects up to 20% of children and 10% of adults. This disorder is characterized by recurrent eczematous lesions and intense itch, which have a great impact on the quality of life. The cause of AD is a complex interplay between microbiome abnormalities, an impaired skin barrier and immune dysregulation. Currently, there is no cure for AD and therapy is focused on disease control. For a better understanding of this disease, we aimed to further investigate these three factors that contribute to the pathogenesis of AD and to assess how they interact with each other. In particular, we focused on the role of the microbiome (with the predominance of Staphylococcus (S.) aureus) and the skin barrier defect (caused by mutations in the gene encoding filaggrin (FLG)). These insights will help us develop new treatment strategies to reduce the symptoms of AD.
Due to corona, the PhD defences do not take place publicly in the usual way in the Senate Hall or in the Professor Andries Querido Room. The candidates will defend their dissertation either in a small group or online.
