How skin oils, bacteria, and the immune system cause acne
Official title: Acne: a disease of lipid metabolism, microbiome and the immune response
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-11178636 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how skin oils, microbes, and immune cells cause acne to help people with inflammatory acne.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,399,436 |
| NIH project number | 5P50AR080594-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11178636 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are people with active inflammatory acne who can attend clinic visits in Southern California and are willing to provide small skin biopsy samples.
✕Less likely to help
People with only mild, non-inflammatory acne or those unwilling to undergo biopsy are less likely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
You may be asked to give small skin biopsy samples and other skin specimens so researchers can study the cells in acne lesions. Scientists will use single-cell and spatial RNA sequencing, metagenomics, and lipidomics to map immune cells, bacteria, and lipid changes in affected skin. The team is concentrating on TREM2-expressing macrophages and adipogenic fibroblasts that are over-represented in acne lesions. Results will be used to link the microbiome and lipid metabolism to the local immune response and build a model of acne development.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new targeted treatments or tests that reduce inflammation, pimples, and scarring.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have linked Cutibacterium acnes, skin lipids, and immunity to acne, but combining single-cell, spatial, metagenomic, and lipidomic analyses on human biopsy samples is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Modlin, Robert L — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Modlin, Robert L
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Acne: how skin oils, bacteria, and the immune system interact
A UC system grant is exploring how acne develops by looking at skin oils, skin bacteria, and the body’s immune response to help find new ways to prevent or treat acne.
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Acne: how skin bacteria, fats, and immunity drive lesions
A large NIH-funded effort at UCLA/UCSD is studying how skin bacteria, fat metabolism, and the immune system interact to cause acne, with plans to translate findings into better treatments.
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Spironolactone vs doxycycline for acne in women
A multi-center trial compares spironolactone and doxycycline to treat acne in adult women to find which works better with fewer side effects.
-
Novel endolysins to target Cutibacterium acnes for acne treatment
A small research grant is developing a highly specific enzyme therapy to kill the acne-causing bacteria without disturbing good skin or gut bacteria.
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Th17 extracellular traps and skin bacteria in acne health
A study in people with acne aims to understand how specific skin bacteria and immune cells interact to fight acne-causing germs and how this could lead to better treatments.
-
New bacteria-targeting enzymes to fight acne
Developing species-specific enzymes to remove the acne-causing bacterium Cutibacterium acnes for people with acne.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.