Skinomics, transcriptional profiling approaches to molecular and structural biology of epidermis

Skinomics is a field of bioinformatics applied specifically to skin biology and, by extension, to dermatology. Skinomics has been expanding into extensive genome-wide association studies, eg, of psoriasis, proteomics, lipidomics, metabolomics, metagenomics, and the studies of the microbiome. Here, the current state of the field of transcriptomics is reviewed, including the studies of the gene expression in human skin under several healthy and disease conditions. Specifically, transcriptional studies of epidermal differentiation, skin aging, effects of cytokines, inflammation with emphases on psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, and wound healing are reviewed. The transition from microarrays to NextGen sequencing is noted and potential future directions suggested.