Doctors Health Press, a division of Lombardi Publishing Corporation and publisher of various natural health newsletters, books, and reports, including the popular online Doctors Health Press e-Bulletin, is reporting on a new study finding that acne bacteria contain different strains, some that lead to pimples and some that actually protect the skin.
As Doctors Health Press e-Bulletin (http://www.doctorshealthpress.com/general-health-2/a-breakthrough-in-acne-research-revealed) notes, the one strain of bacteria that keeps skin healthy will likely be the subject of many studies to come. Researchers may be able to find a way to prevent acne and customize treatment to each person’s specific strains of bacteria.
As the article “A Breakthrough in Acne Research Revealed” notes, Propionibacterium acnes is a microbe that loves living in oily pores. It causes acne when it bothers the immune system, which attacks and overreacts (as is the case with autoimmune diseases). Researchers extracted these bacteria from about 100 volunteers, half of whom had acne and half of whom did not. They then used the lab to isolate over 1,000 strains of P. acnes before focusing on 66 of them and their associated genes.
The Doctors Health Press e-Bulletin article states that the researchers found the bacteria were different if taken from someone with acne compared to someone with healthy skin. They identified strains that appeared in people with acne, but rarely in people without it. Then, they found a third strain common in healthy, clear skin—but almost never in acne-marked skin.
As Doctors Health Press e-Bulletin concludes, the researchers believe that creams rich in the “friendly” strains of P. acnes could calm someone’s acne outbreak. Similar to probiotics, which protect the intestinal tract from harmful bacteria, this strain of bacteria could protect a person’s skin.
(SOURCE: Fitz-Gibbon, S., et al., “Propionibacterium acnes Strain Populations in the Human Skin Microbiome Associated with Acne,” Journal of Investigative Dermatology February 2013.)
- Courtesy of PRWeb
