The vaccine would be the first to prevent spots before they’ve even appeared
If you suffer from acne, or you used to, this is positive news for you (and your teenage self).
A vaccine to treat and prevent acne could be one step closer to becoming reality, after a recent study revealed a way to block bacteria which damages the skin and causes the condition.
Scientists at the University of California in San Diego have successfully targeted a type of bacteria which lives in the skin and have worked out a way to stop it producing toxins which cause inflammation, reports The New York Post.
Basically, the vaccine could block the stuff that causes acne, before it even appears.
The research was published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology and it could mean that people the world over can finally give up the toothpaste and aggressive acne pills.
Lead author of the study Eric Huang, from the university’s dermatology department, said: “Once validated by a large-scale clinical trial, the potential impact of our findings is huge for the hundreds of millions of individuals suffering from acne vulgaris.
“Current treatment options are often not effective or tolerable for many of the 85 percent of adolescents and more than 40 million adults in the United States who suffer from this multi-factorial cutaneous inflammatory condition.
“New, safe, and efficient therapies are sorely needed.”
According to The Post, this vaccine would be the first to target bacteria already in the skin so it would prevent spots before they’ve even started.
Here's hoping it's available sooner rather than later!
