When you think about skincare, you might immediately think of sunscreen, moisturizers, or serums, but probably not of bacteria or viruses. However, within the skincare industry, a new use of microscopic viruses is gaining traction: phage skincare. Phages, or bacteriophages, are a specific type of viruses that infect and destroy bacteria by attaching to a specific bacterium and inserting their own DNA. The phages will then use the bacterium’s cellular machinery to make more phages, eventually killing the bacterium. This infection is highly selective, as specific phages only target certain bacterial strains, unlike antibiotics, which are chemicals that kill a broad spectrum of bacteria. Additionally, phages don’t infect animal cells like the ones in our bodies, making them a potential option for treating bacterial infections in human patients. Our skin is naturally home to a diverse population of bacteria, fungi, and viruses, often referred to as the skin microbiome. Among the millions of species of bacteria on the skin, some are good and contribute to skin health and protection, while others are bad and can lead to skin problems, such as acne, infections and inflammation. A balanced microbiome is thought to be controlled by phages. Certain phages prevent the overgrowth of harmful bacteria, while others promote the survival of beneficial bacteria. By analyzing the skin microbiome of healthy individuals and patients with skin conditions, researchers have found an association between reduced phage concentrations and an abundance of the bacteria that these phages normally infect. Phage therapy and phage skincare have developed as a result.
Let’s use acne as an example and take a closer look at how phages can treat bacterial skin conditions. Acne is one of the most common skin conditions among teens and adults, often caused by overgrowth of a bacteria called Cutibacterium acnes on the skin. To reduce the amount of C. acnes on the skin, patients have historically been prescribed topical antibiotics or antimicrobials like benzoyl peroxide. However, these medications can have a myriad of side effects, including irritation and antimicrobial resistance of bacteria on the skin. By utilizing phages that specifically infect C. acnes, C. acnes can be selectively targeted, while other healthy bacteria and microbes on the skin remain intact. This lessens the risk of antimicrobial resistance as well as the associated side effects.
The unique characteristics of phages make them an appealing option for treating dermatologic conditions like acne, dermatitis, and psoriasis, without disrupting the delicate balance of the skin’s microbiome. In a way, phage therapy or phage skincare can be considered as a form of precision therapy. In theory, skincare with specific phage “cocktails” can be designed to tailor treatment to an individual’s needs based on the profiles of that individual’s skin microbiome!
Of course, phage skincare is not without limitations. There is always a constant race between bacteria and their phages, which can lead to the development of bacterial resistance. That said, this is not of major concern at the moment. In the future, we can be assured of novel scientific discoveries which will lead to new methods of therapy and care for various skin conditions.
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