How fat cells in the skin help fight acne
Date:
February 16, 2022
Source:
University of California - San Diego
Summary:
Researchers have discovered a specific antimicrobial skin cell and
the role it plays in acne development, which could result in more
targeted treatment options.
FULL STORY ==========================================================================
Acne is among the most common skin diseases in the United States,
according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, affecting
up to 50 million Americans each year. It is also among the least studied.
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It's known that hair follicles assist in the development of a pimple,
but new research suggests the skin cells outside of these hair follicles
play a larger role. The findings published in the February 16, 2022
issue of Science Translational Medicine.
"These findings may transform the way we treat acne," said Richard Gallo,
MD, PhD, Ima Gigli Distinguished Professor of Dermatology and chair of the Department of Dermatology at UC San Diego School of Medicine. "Previously,
it was thought that hair follicles were most important for acne to
develop. In this study, we looked at the cells outside of the hair
follicle and found they had a major effect on controlling bacteria and
the development of acne." The cells are called fibroblasts, common
in connective tissues throughout the body. In skin, they produce an antimicrobial peptide called cathelicidin, which plays a key role in
acne development, said Gallo.
To counter an infection within a hair follicle, the surrounding skin
undergoes a process called reactive adipogenesis in which fibroblasts
transform into fat cells. Cathelicidin is produced as well to help combat
the infection by suppressing bacteria that can cause acne.
The discovery of cathelicidin's role came as a surprise.
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"We began our research wanting to understand the biology of acne
and specifically looked at the role of fibroblasts, which typically
provide structural support in the deeper layers of the skin," said first
author Alan O'Neill, PhD, project scientist at UC San Diego School of
Medicine. "What we uncovered instead was that these cells were activated
to produce large amounts of an important antimicrobial, cathelicidin,
in response to acne-causing bacteria called Cutibacterium acnes."
The research team performed skin biopsies on acne patients treated
for several months with retinoids, a class of chemicals derived from
vitamin A found to promote skin health. To the researchers' surprise,
the drug enhanced cathelicidin expression after treatment, thus finding
an additional, unknown mechanism for why retinoids help treat acne.
To support these findings, researchers studied skin lesions on mice
injected with the acne-causing bacteria and observed similar treatment responses in the mice.
"Cathelicidin being so highly expressed in acne biopsy tissue was a very interesting finding to us," said Gallo. "Knowing this will be helpful in developing a more targeted therapy to treat acne." Currently, retinoid treatment focuses on controlling the development of lipids in skin
cells. One major side effect of these drugs are their teratogenic effects, causing fetal abnormalities in pregnant people. This limits the use of
these drugs to only severe cases. The research team hopes these findings
may assist in developing a more targeted approach to treating acne.
"This research could assist in identifying new treatment options that specifically target the fibroblast's ability to produce cathelicidin,"
said O'Neill. "Thus creating a therapeutic for acne that would be more selective with potentially less harmful side effects." Co-authors
include: Marc Liggins, Jason Seidman, Fengwu Li, Kellen Cavagnero,
Tatsuya Dokoshi, Joyce Cheng, Faiza Shafiq, Tissa Hata, all at UC San
Diego; Tran Do, Robert Modlin, University of California Los Angeles;
and Johann Gudjonsson, University of Michigan.
Funding for this research came, in part, by the National Institutes of
Health (grants R37AI052453, R01AR074302 and R01AR076082).
Disclosure: Richard L. Gallo is a cofounder, consultant, member of the scientific advisory board and holds equity in MatriSys Bioscience.
special promotion Get a free digital "Metabolism Myths"
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always get wrong about diet and exercise. Claim_yours_now_>>> ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by
University_of_California_-_San_Diego. Original written by Jeanna
Vazquez. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Alan M. O'Neill, Marc C. Liggins, Jason S. Seidman, Tran H. Do,
Fengwu
Li, Kellen J. Cavagnero, Tatsuya Dokoshi, Joyce Y. Cheng, Faiza
Shafiq, Tissa R. Hata, Johann E. Gudjonsson, Robert L. Modlin,
Richard L. Gallo.
Antimicrobial production by perifollicular dermal preadipocytes
is essential to the pathophysiology of acne. Science Translational
Medicine, 2022; 14 (632) DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abh1478 ==========================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220216140406.htm
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