REVIEW ARTICLE
Virulent Acne Biofilms Offer Insight into Novel Therapeutic Options
Asha Gowda1, *, Craig G. Burkhart2, 3
Article Information
Identifiers and Pagination:
Year: 2018Volume: 12
First Page: 80
Last Page: 85
Publisher ID: TODJ-12-80
DOI: 10.2174/1874372201812010080
Article History:
Received Date: 1/6/2018Revision Received Date: 27/8/2018
Acceptance Date: 15/9/2018
Electronic publication date: 28/09/2018
Collection year: 2018
open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode). This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Acne vulgaris is a disease of the pilosebaceous unit that may manifest as either noninflammatory or inflammatory skin lesions. The microcomedone theory suggests that the first step in the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris is the noninflammatory comedone. The comedone is a collection of keratin and sebum that is trapped within the pilosebaceous unit due to hyperproliferation of keratinocytes in the follicular lining. The biofilm produced by P. acnes bacteria promotes the formation of a comedone by acting as a biological glue that prevents expulsion of the hyperkeratotic plug. In addition to its adhesive properties, the biofilm has virulence factors contributing to the pathogenicity of P. acnes in acne vulgaris. With further investigation and a better understanding of the P. acnes biofilm, new therapeutic options for acne vulgaris can be made available. By targeting the P. acnes biofilm, treatment can be made more effective and precise, without the concern of side effects seen in currently available acne medications.