He acne This is one of the worst enemies of the skin not only of teenagers, but also of adults. Sometimes it’s hard to say goodbye to acne and no matter how many remedies we use, they always come back in the end. There are some compounds for cosmetic use such as retinolthat help fight it. However, in more severe cases, drugs that have many disadvantages are usually used. Therefore, a group of scientists from Pompeu Fabra Universityfrom Barcelona, developed acne treatment very different from the rest, which acts as a kind of Trojan horse, turning the bacteria that causes this disease against itself.
Well, they don’t actually make bacteria fight each other. It is achieved that a certain type of bacteria, Cutibacterium eels, promotes protein synthesis, which regulates sebum level.
Sebum, although essential for the skin, when it exceeds certain levels, it becomes food for acne-causing bacteria, of which the skin itself stands out. S. acne. Except, clogs hair follicles, worsening symptoms. That’s why this acne treatment is said to work like Troy horse. The secret weapon is embedded among the skin’s own bacteria. After this, she is allowed to be released quietly, without noise. For now it has only been tested on mice, but the results have been very promising.
What is this condition?
Before we talk about acne, let’s remember what it is and how exactly it occurs. In general terms, it is a skin disorder that occurs when skin follicles become clogged. This blockage is usually caused by a buildup of sebum, although there may also be dead cells and bacteria that feed on this sebum.
This whole process leads to inflammatory reactionwhich manifests itself with the typical redness and accumulation of pimples that usually occurs with acne.
The bacteria responsible for this condition are actually microorganisms that usually live harmlessly on our skin. The most common is S. acneformerly known as Propionibacterium acnes. They are usually found as part protective skin barrierprotecting it from external factors, as well as from damage caused by cellular oxidation or inflammation, as well as other processes harmful to cells.
When sebum accumulates in the pores, this is when you they multiply too much, causing the excessive inflammatory response we associate with acne. It’s important to take this into account to understand how Pompeu Fabra’s new acne treatment works.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Each Acne Treatment Method
Today there is more than one effective remedy against acne. Most often you have to resort to antibiotics. They can be used in different forms, but should always be prescribed by a doctor, preferably a dermatologist. It is important to clarify this because some formats, such as wipes, are sometimes perceived as cosmetic and are not used regularly enough.
Antibiotic treatment must be of a certain duration to avoid bacterial resistance. But even so, they carry disadvantages. The most important thing is that destroy all bacteria on the skinso that they can also attack the much needed protective barrier.
On the other hand, there are chemical treatments such as isotretinoin. Its trade name is, among other things, Dercutan, and it is very effective, but it can also cause quite a few side effects. This is a derivative of Vitamin Alike retinol. However, it is much more powerful and is found in much higher concentrations than found in cosmetics.
The main side effect is very dry skin. However, it can also affect cholesterol levels or even damage the liver. These last effects very rare, but a test may still need to be recommended to make sure everything is going well. In addition, it is teratogenic, so it is very important not to prescribe this drug to women. pregnant
Since there is no perfect acne treatment, there are many other options under investigation. And these scientists have proven it. Isotretinoin works attacking all acne fronts. On the one hand, it regulates sebum production. But on the plus side, it unclogs clogged pores, reduces inflammation, and kills acne-causing bacteria.
All this is achieved, in particular, thanks to the activation of the gene encoding the synthesis protein called NGAL. The function of this protein is to regulate the production of sebum so that enough is synthesized to lubricate the skin, but not reaching an amount that can clog pores.
New option
The authors of a new study published in Natural biotechnology, wanted an acne treatment that had the benefits of isotretinoin without the side effects. So they thought about the NGAL protein.
Once this protein is selected as a target, genetically modified strain of bacteria S. acne, so they carried a gene carrying instructions for its synthesis. Thus, it was expected that upon contact with the skin, it would mix with the rest of the microbiota and thus help control sebum production.
To test the effectiveness of this strain of bacteria, they first placed it in contact with sebocyte culture, which are the cells responsible for the production of sebum. In just 48 hours, the level of this fat was reduced by half.
They then tried to topically inject the bacteria into mice. They discovered this after 4 days. NGAL continued to be synthesized and it was located deep in the hair follicles.
Bells cannot be thrown into the air yet, as the skin of mice is very different from human skin for various reasons. For example, she has many more hair follicles and is much thinner. But that doesn’t make the results any less promising. This should be further investigated Troy horsebut we may come across an interesting acne treatment.
Source: Hiper Textual
