Systematic discovery of a topical bacterial consortium that targets Staphylococcus aureus to treat atopic dermatitis

Bean, E. L.; Cervantes, B.; Armentrout, K.; Hassaballah, A. H.; Solebo, O.; Arjes, H. A.; Zalis, E. A.; Lyons, A.; Chin, D.; Lio, P.; Litcofsky, K. D.; Ackerman Araromi, C. M.; Kehe, J.

doi:10.64898/2026.02.13.705787

bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.02.13.705787

Systematic discovery of a topical bacterial consortium that targets Staphylococcus aureus to treat atopic dermatitis

Bean, E. L.·Cervantes, B.·Armentrout, K.·Hassaballah, A. H.·Solebo, O.·Arjes, H. A.·Zalis, E. A.·Lyons, A.·Chin, D.·Lio, P.·Litcofsky, K. D.·Ackerman Araromi, C. M.·Kehe, J.

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Abstract

Atopic dermatitis (AD) flares are frequently accompanied by Staphylococcus aureus overgrowth and activation of quorum sensing-regulated virulence pathways that amplify inflammation and barrier dysfunction. Because commensal members of the skin microbiome can inhibit S. aureus colonization and virulence, we hypothesized that a consortium sourced from healthy human skin could therapeutically target S. aureus and ameliorate AD. We curated 180 skin-derived bacterial strains and used kChip, an ultrahigh-throughput coculture platform, to profile S. aureus physiological response to over four million combinations consisting of two, three, or seven cocultured strains. This screening identified Ensemble No.2 (ENS-002), a three-strain consortium that strongly suppressed S. aureus growth and virulence in follow-up microtiter assays and a Reconstructed Human Epidermis S. aureus Activity (RHESA) model. ENS-002 is now undergoing development as a topical live biotherapeutic product (LBP) treatment for AD.

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Bean, E. L., Cervantes, B., Armentrout, K., Hassaballah, A. H., Solebo, O., Arjes, H. A., Zalis, E. A., Lyons, A., Chin, D., Lio, P., Litcofsky, K. D., Ackerman Araromi, C. M., Kehe, J.. 2026-02-15. Systematic discovery of a topical bacterial consortium that targets Staphylococcus aureus to treat atopic dermatitis. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.02.13.705787

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