The largest study of the genetics of acne has identified 29 regions of the genome that influence the condition. These genetic insights offer potential new targets for treatment.
The research involved genetic data from more than 20,000 people with acne, which affects an estimated 80% of teenagers with spots, cysts, pigment changes and scarring.
The research — led by investigators at the St John’s Institute of Dermatology at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London, and the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Brisbane — analyzed nine genome wide association study datasets from patients around the world.
These studies involved scanning the entire genomes of 20,165 people who had acne and 595,231 people who didn’t. The study identified 29 new genetic variants that are more common in people with acne. It also confirmed 14 of the 17 variants already known to be associated with the condition. This brings the total number of known variants to 46.
“Despite major treatment advances in other skin conditions, progress in acne has been limited,” said Catherine Smith, a professor of dermatology and therapeutics at St John’s Institute of Dermatology at Guy’s and St Thomas’. “As well as suffering from the symptoms of acne, individuals describe consequent profound, negative impacts on their psychological and social wellbeing. It’s exciting that this work opens up potential avenues to find treatments for them.”
Some of genes identified were common in people with acne and were linked to other skin and hair conditions. The researchers said they believe this will help to understand the causes of acne, which could be a mix of factors.
“We know that the causes of acne are complicated, with a mix of biological factors such as genetics and hormones, and environmental factors,” said Michael Simpson, head of the Genomic Medicine Group at King’s College London. “Understanding the genetics of the condition will help us to disentangle some of these causes, and find the best way to treat the condition. This is a really promising area for further study, and opens up a lot of avenues for research.”
The research also found a link between the genetic risk of acne and disease severity, raising the potential for early intervention. You can read the full study in the journal Nature Communications.
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