A HARMLESS virus that preys on acne bugs could be harnessed to treat spots, say scientists.
The phages live on the skin and naturally target bacteria in the pores that trigger outbreaks of pimples. Under normal conditions enough of the bacteria survive to make life miserable for millions of teenagers.
However, US researchers have identified an active protein in the virus that could be developed as a new acne treatment.
"Acne affects millions of people, yet we have few treatments that are both safe and effective," said lead scientist Professor Robert Modlin, from the University of California at Los Angeles.
"Harnessing a virus that naturally preys on the bacteria that causes pimples could offer a promising new tool against the physical and emotional scars of severe acne."
The scientists found all the phages carried a gene coding for a protein called endolysin, an enzyme that breaks down bacterial cell walls. It is this protein that could form the basis of future treatments, they claim.
The research is reported in mBio, the online journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
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