William H. McCoy IV, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of medicine within the Division of Dermatology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, along with his team, has discovered a significant method by which a specific type of acne-inducing bacteria flourishes on human skin.

Cutibacterium acnes necessitates a protein known as RoxP to inhabit the skin, and the investigators have developed a test to identify this protein, which healthcare providers can utilize as a means to verify the presence of a C. acnes infection. This test could also serve as a valuable tool for determining whether C. acnes has infected joint implants and various medical instruments, which is a rising clinical concern.

The research is available online in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. Learn more on the Division of Dermatology webpage.

The article McCoy sheds light on bacterium that causes acne was first published on The Source.