Interaction of Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) and the sebaceous gland in acne: Impact on the therapeutic management of acne
Grantee: Brigitte Dréno, Professor, Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, INSERM, IRS2/INCIT, UMR 1302, France
Amount: DKK 3,370,500
Grant category: Research Grants in open competition
Year: 2025
Geography: France
The main goal of this project is to determine how the beneficial bacterium, Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes), that naturally lives on human skin causes acne. We hypothesize that changes in amount and types of oils (called sebum) secreted by skin oil glands may play a part in turning the beneficial C. acnes to disease-causing bacteria. Sebum profile changes may make C. acnes grow and behave differently, and cause skin inflammation. One way that sebum changes make C. acnes cause inflammation may be by extracellular vesicles, which are very small sacs released by the bacteria. Since androgen, a type of sex hormone, is known to increase sebum, medications that block androgens are currently used to treat acne. Thus, another aim of this project is to see if blocking androgens can manage acne by targeting sebum profile changes that affect inflammation caused by C. acnes. Our project will allow us to gain more knowledge on how acne develops and justify the use of androgen blockers as treatment.