Does acne arise from bacteria?

• April 25, 2024

Could it be possible that hormones are not the only culprit of acne? An investigation carried out in California is about to deny this belief by revealing that a strain of bacteria that live in our skin could be the cause that develops this cutaneous problem at the same time that it can fight it.

"It had not occurred to anyone to think if they would like to have good bacteria on their skin," said the lead author of the study. Huiying Li , assistant professor of molecular and medical pharmacology of the University of California , in Los Angeles. "But they should want some."

The presence of bacteria that overcome acne is what causes people to get rid of pimples relatively.

Li and his team studied the strains of bacteria present on people's faces through a genomic analysis of microbial DNA. They discovered that the bacteria that cause acne, called Propionibacterium acnes or P. acnes are more complex than previously thought.

When studying them at the genomic level, they discovered that the bacteria that had been given the same name actually represented three different strains. People with acne tend to have one or two of these strains associated with the disease, although those with healthy skin have a good strain that apparently destroys harmful bacteria.

Therefore, having or not having acne may depend on the strain of P. acnes on the skin.

The strain of P. acnes associated with healthy skin work much like the bacteria that live in yogurt and that help defend the intestines.

Acne is the most common skin condition in the United States and affects 40 to 50 million people, especially adolescents and young adults, but it can appear at any age, depending on the American Academy of Dermatology.

The study, published in the journal Journal of Investigative Dermatology , with the participation of 49 people with acne and 52 who did not have it, microbes were used in the pores located in the upper part of the nose.

Dr. David Leffell , professor of dermatology and surgery in the Yale University School of Medicine , said that the research, although not totally innovative, begins to establish the basic facts to better understand the microbiome of the skin.

This discovery could lead to the development of agents designed specifically to normalize the bacterial population or to eliminate the strains considered harmful.

According to Li, when it comes to acne, ultimately the key to healthy skin may be the balance between the different strains.

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Video Medicine: Acne | Nucleus Health (April 2024).