<p>Bacteria that metabolise ammonia - a major component of sweat - may improve skin health and some day could be used for the treatment of skin disorders such as acne or chronic wounds, shows new research.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Human volunteers using the bacteria reported better skin condition and appearance compared with a placebo control group, said researchers after the study.<br /><br />For the study, researchers used a strain of Nitrosomonas eutropha -- ammonia-oxidising bacteria (AOB) isolated from organic soil samples.<br /><br />In the placebo-controlled study involving 24 volunteers, one group applied a suspension of the live bacteria on their face and scalp for one week while a second group used placebo.<br /><br />Both groups were followed for an additional two weeks.<br /><br />The AOB users reported qualitative improvements in skin condition compared with no or minimal improvement reported by the control group.<br /><br />"The use of a bacterial DNA detection assay demonstrated the presence of AOB in 83-100 percent of skin swabs obtained from AOB users but not in any of the placebo control samples," said Larry Weiss, chief medical officer at AOBiome, a biotech start-up in Cambridge, Massachusetts.<br /><br />Importantly, there were no adverse events associated with the topical application of AOB.<br /><br />AOB are ubiquitous in soil and water and are essential components of the nitrogen cycle and environmental nitrification processes.<br /><br />"Live Nitrosomonas are well tolerated and may hold promise as novel, self-regulating topical delivery agent of nitrite and nitric oxide to the human skin," Weiss concluded.<br />The researchers presented the results at the fifth ASM Conference on Beneficial Microbes in Washington, DC recently.</p>
<p>Bacteria that metabolise ammonia - a major component of sweat - may improve skin health and some day could be used for the treatment of skin disorders such as acne or chronic wounds, shows new research.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Human volunteers using the bacteria reported better skin condition and appearance compared with a placebo control group, said researchers after the study.<br /><br />For the study, researchers used a strain of Nitrosomonas eutropha -- ammonia-oxidising bacteria (AOB) isolated from organic soil samples.<br /><br />In the placebo-controlled study involving 24 volunteers, one group applied a suspension of the live bacteria on their face and scalp for one week while a second group used placebo.<br /><br />Both groups were followed for an additional two weeks.<br /><br />The AOB users reported qualitative improvements in skin condition compared with no or minimal improvement reported by the control group.<br /><br />"The use of a bacterial DNA detection assay demonstrated the presence of AOB in 83-100 percent of skin swabs obtained from AOB users but not in any of the placebo control samples," said Larry Weiss, chief medical officer at AOBiome, a biotech start-up in Cambridge, Massachusetts.<br /><br />Importantly, there were no adverse events associated with the topical application of AOB.<br /><br />AOB are ubiquitous in soil and water and are essential components of the nitrogen cycle and environmental nitrification processes.<br /><br />"Live Nitrosomonas are well tolerated and may hold promise as novel, self-regulating topical delivery agent of nitrite and nitric oxide to the human skin," Weiss concluded.<br />The researchers presented the results at the fifth ASM Conference on Beneficial Microbes in Washington, DC recently.</p>