Breakthrough in f ight against acne

BETTER treatment for acne could be developed after scientists found 12 more genes linked to the skin condition.

It affects four in five people aged 11 to 30 to some degree but thousands are left with facial scars that last a lifetime.

Researchers who looked at more than 5,600 acne sufferers believe they have genetic differences that allow bacteria to grow in their pores and cause breakouts.

Consultant dermatologist Professor Jonathan Barker, who led the world’s largest genetic study for acne from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in London, said: ‘In the last 20 to 30 years there have been few advances in the way we treat acne and the current main treatment has a number of significant side effects.

‘Applying these genetic approaches to acne has never been done before and it’s a significant leap forward. When you have insight into the genetic basis of a condition, you can develop more effective treatments.’

Someone’s risk of getting acne is 80 per cent inherited from their parents and in addition to three genetic variations already known, the latest study found 12 linked to the condithey tion. These include three believed to change hair follicles in the skin, allowing the build-up of bacteria that form spots.

The researchers also found genetic variations that protect against acne, including one that makes men three times less likely to get it. Now that know which genes protect some people from the condition, scientists hope to create drugs that mimic their effect on hair follicles. This could lead to treatments that stop bacteria building up in the pores, instead of simply killing them.

These drugs could also be free from the side effects caused by the most effective current treatment, Roaccutane, which can cause dry skin and muscle aches and has been linked to an increased risk of depression.

Professor Barker said: ‘We need to treat people earlier and more effectively so that they don’t get scars, which last even after the condition has come and gone.’

One in five people who suffer from acne are left permanently scarred.

The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, looked at the DNA of 26,722 people including those with severe acne.

‘It’s a significant leap forward’