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Human skin bacteria

A type of bacteria commonly found on human skin produces a substance that may help protect against skin cancer, researchers have revealed.

The scientists say the surprise discovery regarding a strain of Staphylococcus epidermidis highlights the importance of the community microbes found on and in the body in preventing disease.

While it is not clear whether the absence of this strain could increase the risk of skin cancer in individuals, the team say that it is possible the findings might one day lead to preventive treatments for patients.

“The strain was originally detected in a screen for antimicrobial activity, but when we identified the nature of the chemical produced by this strain we proceeded with experiments to determine if it might have activity against tumours,” said Gallo.

The researchers found that the chemical, called 6-N-hydroxyaminopurine (6-HAP), hindered the production of DNA, with work in cell cultures revealing that 6-HAP prevents several types of tumour cells from growing and multiplying. Read more

Human skin bacteria Functions

Science continues to peel away layers of the skin microbiome to reveal its protective properties. In a study published in Science Advances on February 28, University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers report a potential new role for some bacteria on the skin: protecting against cancer.

“We have identified a strain of Staphylococcus epidermidis, common on healthy human skin, that exerts a selective ability to inhibit the growth of some cancers,” said Richard Gallo, MD, PhD, Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Dermatology at UC San Diego School of Medicine. “This unique strain of skin bacteria produces a chemical that kills several types of cancer cells but does not appear to be toxic to normal cells.”

More than 1 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year. More than 95 per cent of these are non-melanoma skin cancer, which is typically caused by overexposure to the sun’s UV rays. Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer that starts in the pigment-producing skin cells, called melanocytes. Read more

The new research was carried out by scientists at the University of California (UC) San Diego School of Medicine.

Dr. Richard Gallo, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Dermatology at UC San Diego, is the new study’s corresponding author.

In the United States, skin cancer is the most common type of cancer. In 2014, melanomas of the skin affected more than 76,000 U.S. individuals, and more than 9,300 of these died from the condition.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, more than 1 million U.S. citizens live with skin cancer, and 1 in 5 will develop the condition at one point in their lives.

The researchers found that S. epidermidis produces a chemical called 6-N-hydroxyaminopurine (6-HAP), which is a molecule that inhibits DNA synthesis. By doing so, 6-HAP has the potential to stop transformed tumor cells from spreading. Read more

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