There might finally be a vaccine for acne
Acne affects so many of us at one point or another, and it can range from mildly annoying to a severe, chronic, and painful experience that takes a huge toll on our self-esteem. Which is why we’re more than interested to hear that doctors are working on an acne vaccine. According to Allure, scientists at the University of California in San Diego are working towards a vaccine that counteracts the affects of the P. acnes bacteria — but it’s a challenge.
"Acne is caused, in part, by P. acnes bacteria that are with you your whole life — and we couldn’t create a vaccine for the bacteria because, in some ways, P. acnes are good for you, says Eric C. Huang, the project’s lead researcher. "But we found an antibody to a toxic protein that P. acnes bacteria secrete on skin — the protein is associated with the inflammation that leads to acne."
As far as this being something we can access, that’s a little far off since clinical trials haven’t started yet (and Huang notes that they could take one or two years). Still, we’re open to the possibilities!
Here’s to hoping this works, and that it’s in the not-so-distant future.
In the meantime, if you’re dealing with acne, know that you’re absolutely not alone. Even celebs have gotten real about their acne struggles, because it’s something so very many people are dealing with.
