Can you tell us what your research is about?
"My research focuses on understanding how living organisms, including humans, defend their barrier organs against invaders such as bacteria and viruses while simultaneously coexisting peacefully with beneficial symbionts (the microbiota). I also study how we might strengthen these living borders through vaccination. While the gastrointestinal tract has long been known for its complex structural and immune networks—including antibody production—the skin was historically believed to be completely devoid of B cells. My recent discovery challenges this notion by introducing a paradigm shift: (1) the skin does, in fact, host resident B cells, and (2) the microbiota can stimulate B cell responses that produce protective antibodies in the skin without triggering inflammation. Our group aims to uncover the fundamental immunological mechanisms that control skin B cell activation and antibody secretion, and to explore how this knowledge could guide development of non-invasive, topically applied vaccines or help explain the origins of B cell–driven skin diseases."
What role do our everyday skin microbes play in protecting us?
"Skin microbiota, much like those in the gut, are essential educators of the immune system and key contributors to wound healing and barrier integrity. When this microbial balance is disrupted—whether by UV exposure, cosmetic products, changes in diet, or other external factors—the skin’s immune responses, including antibody production, can be directly affected. Such disturbances may impair our ability to mount effective defenses and potentially contribute to disease development. Maintaining a diverse, balanced skin microbiome is therefore crucial for supporting immune function and preventing infection and inflammation-driven disease."
How could this discovery change how we think about skin diseases and treatments?
"Discovering that the microbiota can stimulate local antibody production within the skin opens the door to developing innovative, non-invasive topical therapeutics and vaccine strategies. It also raises important questions about whether disruptions in the homeostatic relationship between skin B cells and microbes contribute to disease. An increasing number of skin conditions involve B cell infiltrates, pathogenic antibody responses, and microbial components, yet their origins remain unclear. By deciphering the tissue-level mechanisms governing inflammation, we hope to improve treatment strategies for patients."
What does this grant mean to your research?
"I am deeply grateful for the honor of receiving the prestigious SSMF Starting Grant. This award provides the first major financial support for my independent research program and gives me the opportunity to advance the field of skin humoral immunity together with my trainees and collaborators at Lund University. I look forward to pursuing new discoveries that will benefit patients and contribute to the broader field of medicine."
Inta Gribonika has also been awarded a Starting Grant from the Swedish Research Council in 2025.