Abstract
Antibiotics without selectivity for acne treatment may destroy the beneficial microbes in the human microbiome that helps to fight Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes), a bacterium associated with inflammatory acne vulgaris. Probiotic treatment by direct application of live Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis) onto the open acne lesions may run the risk of bloodstream infections. Here, we fabricated the polysulfone microtube array membranes (PSF MTAM) to encapsulate probiotic S. epidermidis. We demonstrate that the application of the encapsulation of S. epidermidis in PSF MTAM enhanced the glycerol fermentation activities of S. epidermidis. To mimic the granulomatous type of acne inflammatory acne vulgaris, the ears of mice were injected intradermally with C. acnes to induce the secretion of macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2), a murine counterpart of human interleukin (IL)-8. The C. acnes-injected mouse ears were covered with a PST MTAM encapsulated with or without S. epidermidis in the presence of glycerol. The application of S. epidermidis-encapsulated PST MTAM plus glycerol onto the C. acnes-injected mouse ears considerably reduced the growth of C. acnes and the production of MIP-2. Furthermore, no S. epidermidis leaked from PSF MTAM into mouse skin. The S. epidermidis-encapsulated PST MTAM functions as a probiotic acne patch.
Highlights
The skin microbiota is a variety of microorganisms in the skin ecosystem
The inflammatory acne vulgaris that links to the over-growth of C. acnes affects an estimated 80% of Americans [3]
Results in previous studies demonstrated that commensal microorganisms in the human skin microbiome could mediate the fermentation of glycerol that is naturally produced in the skin to exert the inhibitory effects on the over-growth of C. acnes
Summary
The skin microbiota is a variety of microorganisms in the skin ecosystem. Many of these microorganisms are harmless and in some conditions provides crucial functions that the human genome has not evolved. Other treatments include antibiotics with benzoyl peroxide or azelaic acid for the reduction of development of resistant strains [4] and oral corticosteroids for severe inflammatory acne vulgaris [6]. Results in previous studies demonstrated that commensal microorganisms in the human skin microbiome could mediate the fermentation of glycerol that is naturally produced in the skin to exert the inhibitory effects on the over-growth of C. acnes. Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis), a skin probiotic bacterium in the human skin microbiota, can ferment glycerol and create inhibition zones to repel C. acnes. Killed probiotic bacteria have been topically applied onto skin for stimulation of the immune cells and eradication of colonized pathogens [13], the bacterial lysates may not able to directly hinder the growth of invading pathogens. We envision that S. epidermidis will be trapped within PSF-MTAM without directly contacting the skin, while the PSF-MTAM-based skin patch is topically applied onto the skin
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