Acne treatment on horizon as scientists find gene areas linked to skin condition

Treatment for the millions of Britons who suffer acne could be on the horizon after scientists found areas of DNA linked to the condition.

Around 80 per cent of people aged between 11 and 30 struggle with acne at some point, which causes spots, oily skin and and can lead to permanent scarring

But now researchers at the NIHR Guy’s and St Thomas’ Biomedical Research Centre and King’s College London have found that sufferers have similar mutations in 15 regions in their genome.

Previously it was thought that acne was caused by skin inflammation. But, many of the genetic variants discovered are responsible for hair growth suggesting that bacteria may be entering the skin through badly formed follicles.

One of the genetic variants uncovered is known to be linked with the rare condition ectodermal dysplasia, which causes very sparse hair and body hair.

Professor Michael Simpson, of King’s College, said: “We are really excited to have found so many regions of the genome that are involved in acne.

“It was surprising that so many of the variants appear to influence the structure and function of the hair follicle. It may be that the genetic variation influences the shape of these hair follicles and makes them more prone to bacteria and inflammation, which are a characteristic of acne.

“A number of the genetic variants point to interesting mechanisms that could be really good targets for new drugs or treatments that would really help patients.”

The study, published in Nature Communications, looked at the DNA of 26,722 people, including 5,602 who have severe acne to discover which genetic variations they had in common.  

Professor Jonathan Barker, a consultant dermatologist at St John’s Institute of Dermatology at Guy’s and St Thomas’, who led the study, said: “Applying these genetic approaches to acne has never been done before, and it’s a significant leap forward.

“When you have insight into the genetic basis of a condition, you can develop much more effective treatments.

“For people with acne, it’s so important to have more treatments available. We need to treat people earlier and more effectively, so that they don’t get scars, which last even after the condition has come and gone.”