Vitamin B12 tweaks how genes behave in the facial bacteria of some people who normally enjoy clear skin. The activity changes of the facial bacteria promote inflammation and lead to pimples.
By shedding light on one mechanism behind B12's role in acne, the UCLA finding may identify drug targets that lead to new treatments for acne.
Huiying Li, an assistant professor of molecular and medical pharmacology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and Dr. Noah Craft, a dermatologist at LA BioMed at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, are available for interviews.
Science Translational Medicine publishes the findings in its June 24 edition.
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The research was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
The UCLA research was initiated as part of the Human Microbiome Project. Launched by the National Institutes of Health in 2007, the project aims to identify and better understand the microorganisms living in and on our bodies that maintain human health and lead to disease.
Enrique Rivero, erivero@mednet.ucla.edu
(310) 794-2273
Science Translational Medicine