Lauric acid – a natural product found in coconut oil and human breast milk — shines as a possible new acne treatment.
A revolutionary and Innovative system of using ‘nano- bombs’ to treat acne has been developed by Dissaya Nu Pornpattananangkul, a doctoral bioengineering student at the University of California San Diego .
Common acne also known as “acne vulgaris,” afflicts more than 85 percent of teenagers and over 40 million people in the United States and current treatments have undesirable side effects including redness and burning.
This new technique uses nanoparticles that seek and destroy bacteria causing acne.
These “nano-bombs” use natural ingredients to treat acne without the side effects of burning or the red skin associated with drugs
The nanoparticles carry liposomes with lauric acid into the skin microenvironment. They locate acne bacteria and the lauric acid then attacks and kills the bacteria.
A liposome is a tiny bubble made out of the same material as a cell membrane and it is filled with lauric acid.
Lauric acid is a saturated fatty acid which has antimicrobial properties. It is found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil, human milk, cow’s milk and goat’s milk.
This new treatment of lauric-acid-filled nano-scale bombs for skin-dwelling bacteria could avoid other side effects. By delivering drugs directly to the bacteria of interest , it may help to boost antimicrobial efficacy and minimize off-target adverse effects.
Precisely controlled nano-scale delivery of drugs that are applied topically to the skin could significantly improve the treatment of skin bacterial infections.
All building blocks of the nano-bombs are either natural products or have been approved for clinical use, which means these nano-bombs are likely to be tested on humans in the near future.
