Acne, is a skin condition which many of us have faced at sometime. The appearance and development of acne is greatly assisted by Propinonibacterium, a bacteria which live in our hair follicles. Although, they are generally harmless when the hair follicles become overfilled with sebum, an oily secretion they aggravate the skin and aid the development of acne. As acne is a prevalent and quite psychologically harmful for many people, scientists have been constantly studying the disease in the last couple of years. German microbiologist Dr Holger Brueggemann and his research team recently mapped the genetic code of the Propinonibacterium. Interestingly, they found that it contains a plasmid which contains 2 333 genes which enable highly destructive properties which are aimed in breaking down the skin. They actually found that the Propinonibacterium has genes which encode for enzymes which are very similar to those in “flesh eating bacteria”. It even had genes which code for substances which destroy competitors.
Most current treatments and medication used to treat acne are based on killing Propinonibacterium or preventing blockage of the hair follicles. Unfortunately, like most antibiotic treatments, the bacteria has rapidly developed resistance to the antibiotic. So what this German research team is hoping to do from mapping genome of the Propinonibacterium is to gain a better and more in depth understanding of the organism to find a more effective cure for acne. As scientists have mapped the genome of the Propinonibacterium, there is not much let to discover about this organism and hence, should not be long till they find a better treatment for acne.
Most current treatments and medication used to treat acne are based on killing Propinonibacterium or preventing blockage of the hair follicles. Unfortunately, like most antibiotic treatments, the bacteria has rapidly developed resistance to the antibiotic. So what this German research team is hoping to do from mapping genome of the Propinonibacterium is to gain a better and more in depth understanding of the organism to find a more effective cure for acne. As scientists have mapped the genome of the Propinonibacterium, there is not much let to discover about this organism and hence, should not be long till they find a better treatment for acne.
