The bacterium that causes acne is becoming resistant to antibiotics, but a study in mice suggests that adding viruses to acne treatments can restore their effectiveness
Health
14 April 2022
Illustration of phage viruses attacking bacteria Shutterstock / nobeastsofierce
It is getting harder to treat acne because the bacterium that causes it is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics. Adding viruses that kill this bacterium to acne treatments could restore their effectiveness, an animal study suggests, however.
“I myself have suffered from acne,” says Amit Rimon at the Israeli Phage Therapy Center, based at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. “It might be cosmetic but it can have a major psychological impact.”
Certain strains of a bacterium called Cutibacterium acnes are thought to be the main …
