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-11178651 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are exploring how skin oils, the bacteria on your skin, and immune cells interact in people with acne to find better treatment targets.
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) | $349,857 |
| NIH project number | 5P50AR080594-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11178651 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with active acne who are willing to provide skin swabs or small skin samples and attend visits at UCLA/UCSD clinics.
✕Less likely to help
People without active acne lesions, those whose main issue is only scarring with no current inflammation, or those unwilling to give skin samples are unlikely to benefit directly from participating.
What this research studies
This project compares skin from acne lesions and nearby clear skin to look for differences in bacteria, skin fats, and immune cells. Researchers use modern tools like single-cell and spatial RNA sequencing, microbiome (metagenomic) analysis, and lipid profiling to identify specific immune and fibroblast cell types in pimples. Lab experiments showed that a common skin oil, squalene, can change immune cells (TREM2 macrophages) and reduce oxygen-based killing of acne bacteria, which may help explain why lesions form. The team plans to combine these findings into a model that could point to new ways to prevent or treat acne.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatments that target skin oils, specific bacteria, or immune cells to reduce pimples and inflammation.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have linked Cutibacterium acnes, sebum, and immune responses to acne, but combining single-cell, spatial, microbiome, and lipid analyses is a more novel 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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.