An old acne drug may hold the key to developing a new, safer treatment, a study suggests.
Isotretinoin (Myorisan, formerly branded as Accutane), is a form of vitamin A, and has been prescribed for acne for decades. It works by reducing oil in the skin, thus helping prevent acne.
An additional benefit of the drug has recently come to light. It alters the bacteria on the skin of acne patients to more closely resemble the skin of people without acne, researchers report.
This discovery might lead the way to create bacteria-based treatments, said lead researchers Makedonka Mitreva, an associate professor of medicine, and Dr. William McCoy, a dermatologist and instructor of medicine, both at Washington University in St. Louis.
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