Researchers are hopeful that acne can be overcome with a vaccine against a toxin produced by P.acnes.
Can a vaccine make acne, the plight of teenagers disappear? In any case, this is what researchers at the University of California at San Diego (United States) are hoping for, explains the american magazine Pace. In France, around 15 million people suffer from this dermatological disease, including 20% of adult women.
“Acne is caused, in part, by Propionibacterium acnes usually present on our skin, explained Professor Eric Huang, the work manager. So we cannot create a vaccine against this bacteria since it can be good for us. On the other hand, we discovered an antibody directed against a toxic protein secreted by P.acnes. This molecule is associated with inflammation leading to acne ”.
Indeed, this skin disease is an autoinflammatory pathology. It is induced by excess sebum and infection by P.acnes. And the more virulent the bacterial infection, the more severe the acne. The idea of American scientists is to educate the immune system so that the body can better regulate the spread of the bacteria. “This approach has the capacity to resolve this disease over the long term,” explains Prof. Huang on his department’s website.
For now, the work of researchers at the University of California has only been carried out on skin biopsies and mice. But these laboratory experiments are already bringing promising results. “The next step is to test the vaccine in patients during clinical trials.” They hope that phase 1 will be launched within the next two years.
The therapeutic arsenal against acne makes it possible to treat it, but on condition that the patient follows his treatment well, and this for months, even years. Because the fight against these unsightly pimples takes time. For those who suffer from severe acne, it is necessary to be stubborn and accept to follow very heavy treatments. This is particularly the case with isoretrinoin (Roaccutane or Curacne) which has teratogenic effects. Patients should take contraception and make sure they are not pregnant before starting treatment. These drugs can also damage the liver. Regular blood tests are therefore necessary to check liver function.
.