80 SKIN MICROBIOME
Staphylococcus.
Spotlight on acne Acne vulgaris – or common acne – has been the focus of much skin microbiome innovation and market activity to date. This skin condition affects quality of life for
millions of people worldwide. It is associated with excessive sebum production and facial skin microbiota are thought to play a role in its onset. However, topical products and antibiotics conventionally used as treatment cannot distinguish between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bacteria. The upshot is that many therapies are either ineffective or cause unwanted side effects.
Finding ways to treat acne by targeting harmful bacteria while preserving beneficial ones is widely seen as a preferable approach. The goal is to restore bacterial balance to achieve calmer skin and a reduction of symptoms. Belgian company S-Biomedic recently raised
€4M in Series A funding for the development of its probiotic treatment for acne. It is described as involving “[topical application of] ‘good guy’ bacteria onto affected skin, replacing ‘bad guy’ bacteria that causes the condition”.4 S-Biomedic is expected to use this funding in activities to form commercialisation agreements with large dermatological and cosmetic companies. Its technology is also being harnessed by the EU-funded SkinMicrobiome project which is working on a cosmetic product for acne-prone skin. This activity to develop a skin probiotic for the treatment of acne is predicted to reduce duration of treatment from years to weeks and prevent relapse episodes.5 Additional activity in this space includes
a ‘research and option’ agreement between Eligo Bioscience and GlaxoSmithKline. The deal is focused on the advancement of the Eligobiotics® product for treatment or prevention of acne. This solution is based on CRISPR gene editing. According to Eligo, the approach enables precision targeting of harmful bacteria: “[It] uses phage-derived particles to deliver an RNA-guided CRISPR-Cas nuclease into bacterial populations of the microbiome.
PERSONAL CARE September 2021
Inside the bacteria, the nuclease will be guided towards specific genomic sequences, and create targeted lethal DNA double strand-breaks only if such sequences are present in the bacterial genome. This strategy enables a precise engineering of the microbiome, by killing only the strains harboring genomic sequences targeted by the nuclease.”6 Similarly, L’Oréal has signed a licence
agreement with Dutch company Micreos which has developed an endolysin that selectively kills Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. According to the official announcement: “Micreos will give L’Oréal access to its endolysin, a type of active protein in the cosmetic field. With this technology, it is possible for the first time to target only unwanted bacteria in the skin flora - responsible for many skin problems - while sparing the good ones.”7 Another emerging area is the use of
bacteriophages to inhibit bacterial growth and balance skin microflora. Israeli start-up BiomX raised $32 million in a private funding round to advance its drug candidates for the treatment of acne and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).8
BiomX uses metagenomics to identify
bad microbiome bacteria that are linked to the target disease and develops unique phage cocktails to work against them. Furthermore, Phyla, a brand of Phi Therapeutics Inc., recently announced the results from the clinical study of its Phortify Probiotic Serum, containing probiotic phages PHIT-101 that target Cutibacterium acnes, formerly known as Propionibacterium. Observations from the trials revealed that the C. acnes bacteriophage specifically diminished the overgrown pathogenic strains of C. acnes, whilst allowing development of the C. acnes strain that is present in a healthy skin microbiota.9 Looking beyond acne, recent patent activity
indicates that large personal care companies are making their own progress in the skin microbiome space. Unilever has filed patents for a topical pre-biotic formula comprising saccharide isomerate for use in products including body lotions, face washes and deodorants to balance the skin microbiome.
Another Unilever patent describes a ‘microbiota balancing’ formula using thyme and pine extracts.
Macrotrends: personalisation and the impact of COVID-19 Advanced beauty therapy involving the diagnosis of skin problems is set to be another significant growth area. This will involve testing the composition of an individual’s skin microbiome to diagnose any imbalance, enabling the recommendation of skincare products or routines that restore or maintain equilibrium. Singapore-based Sequential Skin has
emerged in this space, offering an at-home skin microbiome test. According to the company’s website: “We assess your genetic predisposition to certain traits and how your skin microbiome and present environment influences them. This gives us a clear idea of the current state of your skin and lets us predict how it might evolve over time. Then, we can tell you exactly what ingredients and products will work best for the skin you’re in, to boost your overall health.”10 Developments in this vein could herald a
new era for the beauty sector, where topical products and digital or physical technologies converge to enable more effective skin care solutions. Increased understanding of the role of the skin microbiome presents opportunities to take personalised skincare to new depths. Knowledge of general factors that influence the skin microbiome could also unlock opportunities for microbiome-friendly solutions for specific issues. For instance, the COVID-19 pandemic introduced the phenomenon of ‘maskne’ where some people experienced skin irritation, pimples and redness caused by wearing facemasks. As well as the physical irritation of tightly fitting fabrics, masks create humid, warm conditions that are perfect for the growth of bacteria. This has prompted additional interest in facial skin care products that contain probiotics. COVID-19 has also changed our skin
regimes through the repeated use of hand sanitiser products and more frequent surfactant
www.personalcaremagazine.com
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