Skin Tape Stripping: A Non-Invasive Approach Linking Epidermal Changes and Systemic Inflammation in Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a complex chronic inflammatory skin disease driven by skin barrier dysfunction, immune dysregulation, and microbial imbalance. Traditional sampling methods, such as biopsies and blood collection, have provided valuable pathophysiological insights. However, their invasiveness, associated discomfort, and limitations for repeated sampling have constrained a dynamic understanding of disease progression and treatment responses. In recent years, skin tape stripping (STS) has emerged as a minimally invasive or even non-invasive technique that addresses these limitations. STS enables the collection of corneocytes and upper granular layer cells from the epidermis, and when combined with high-throughput multi-omics technologies, such as RNA sequencing, proteomics, lipidomics, and metatranscriptomics, it provides a powerful platform to dissect the molecular mechanisms of AD, identify novel biomarkers, and facilitate stratification in precision medicine approaches.