Current status of acne vaccines

Acne vulgaris is one of the most common diseases in the industrialized world, especially among teenagers and young adults. The disease is caused by many factors, such as elevated sebum, hyperkeratinization, hormonal changes and inflammation. A major player in the inflammatory component of acne is Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes), and is associated with more moderate or severe forms of acne. Currently, the treatments for acne have several clinical, practical and financial disadvantages. Using P. acnes as a target, however, several studies have demonstrated the potential for a vaccine that would be able to prevent the onset of acne vulgaris, or at the very least reduce its severity to only a fraction of what it would be normally.