Anti-Acne Therapuetic Agent From a Snake Discovered!

Published:July 30th, 2011

 

“Oh c’mon!” is just what you might actually say with this news: An anti-acne therapeutic agent was discovered from the venom of a snake, says a study conducted by a group of Chinese researchers from Biotoxin Units of Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China and published in the 2011 issue of PLoS One.

This study explains that the venom of the snake Bungarus fasciatus has cathelicidin BF, a type of antimicrobial peptide that can act as mutifactorial effector in our innate immunity. It is the first-ever discovered type of cathelicidin in reptiles. In this study, the researchers found that cathelicidin BF is effective for skin infection-causing microorganisms such as Propionibacterium acnes, the usual cause of common acne forms and Staphylococcus epidermidis, the etiologic agent of acne vulgaris. They have also noted that cathelicidin BF acts on the microorganisms’ membrane surfaces, disrupting their membranes which ultimately lead to their destruction.

Previous studies reveal that antimicrobial peptides can prevent infection by providing effective defense against the invading microorganism. Some types of antimicrobial peptides such as cathelicidins and defensins were found in mammals and birds. However, it is just now that cathelicidin antimicrobial peptides were identified from reptiles, particularly snakes.

Acne vulgaris is a common skin problem in the human population. It develops as a result of multiple factors working together to cause inflammatory reactions in large skin oil glands. The most common factors for acne vulgaris include hormonal factors, existence of acne-causing pathogens in the skin area, sebum over-production, hyperkeratinization, and nutrition.  Propionibacterium acnes, the most common etiologic agent of acne, triggers the expression of innate antimicrobial peptides and inflammation-causing cytokines that result in the inflammatory response of the acne lesion.  Propionibacterium acnes also cause opportunistic infection-causing microorganisms to take over, worsening the outcome of acne lesions.

Antimicrobials are usually enployed to inhibit the worsening inflammation caused by bacteria. However, with increasing prevalance of antibiotic resistance, more and more opportunistic skin-residing microorganisms are now giving problems to acne lesion management. Antimicrobial peptides are now considered as the newest trend in microbial management since they have a very low potential in inducing drug resistance in microorganisms.

Reference:

PLoS One; Cathelicidin-BF, a Snake Cathelicidin-Derived Antimicrobial Peptide, Could Be an Excellent Therapeutic Agent for Acne Vulgaris; Wang, Y. et al.; July 2011

 

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