WIPO Patent Law Committee Cinches Agreement On Future Work ...

With the threat of suspension of work looming, the World Intellectual Property Organization Standing Committee of the Law of Patents (SCP) agreed to a minimal programme of work, which includes exceptions and limitations to patent rights, quality of patents, and patents and health. Delegates made significant concessions on all sides, but the Africa Group expressed particular disappointment in the limited commitment to work on the patents and health topic.

The 19^th session of the WIPO patent law committee met this week from 25-28 February, adjourning near midnight on the last day. Although member states remained divided on key issues, most were relieved to have come to an agreement.

Meeting documents are available here.

According the chair?s summary [pdf], future work includes exceptions and limitations to patent rights, quality of patents, including opposition systems, patents and health, confidentiality of communications between clients and their patent advisors, and transfer of technology.

Meeting Chair Vittorio Ragonesi, legal adviser for the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Intellectual Property Watch, ?The work programme is very minimal, but at least, we?ll keep working. It?s very important that we continue because this is the only multilateral forum to work on the international patent system.?

Toward the end of informal negotiations on 28 February, debate narrowed in on patents and health and quality of patents. The Africa Group pushed hard for more ambitious work on patents and health, included exploration of obstacles countries face using health-related patent flexibilities. Group B, representing developed countries, meanwhile wanted to move forward on a questionnaire to identify definitions and criteria used by member states in defining quality of patents. These priorities are reflected in the ?Draft informal proposal by the Chair on future work in the SCP,? [pdf] which circulated earlier in the day.

Low Ambition on Patents and Health?

Following the meeting close, a delegate from a developed country said, ?Our biggest win this week was not running this committee into the sand.? But for others, the pressure to keep the committee alive resulted in too many concessions.

During the closing remarks, Algeria, on behalf of the Africa Group, said, ?The SCP must make more consequential and useful progress on patents and health. Our countries suffer on a daily basis of a status quo imposed by a patent system that only considers the demands of rights holders.?

?At the end of this session, the African Group found itself alone with the responsibility to continue or to block the work of this committee. Faced with this choice, the group decided it favoured the committee, and the work of this organisation,? the delegate from Algeria said. ?We hope that the Group will not have to save this committee every session.?

According to the chair?s summary, on patents and health, members agreed to ?Organize during SCP/20 a sharing session on countries? use of health-related patent flexibilities.?

As expressed in their opening statement [doc], for the Africa Group, exploring challenges countries face in making use of health-related patent flexibilities was a top priority, as outlined in the proposal submitted by South Africa on behalf of the Africa Group and the Development Agenda Group (SCP/16/17). This proposal was also supported by the Asia Group.

This proposition was strongly opposed by Group B, representing developed countries, which favoured the US delegation?s proposal (SCP/17/11) on studying how the patent system promotes public health.

Nonetheless, several representatives of developing countries expressed relief outside of the meeting that the patents and health topic remained part of the SCP?s future work.

?And Low Ambition on Quality of Patents

If patents and health was the near-redline for the Africa Group, and other developing countries, quality of patents was the equivalent for the US and other developed countries.

The United States? opening statement [pdf] focussed on progress the country has made in aligning the patent system to its international partners with the implementation of America Invents Act (AIA) and the ?first inventor to file? provision. The US delegate also pointed to ?initiatives aimed at improving the quality and efficiency of the patent examination process? through work sharing programs with partner patent office.

In the area of patent quality, the US and other developed countries hope to make progress by moving forward with a questionnaire on quality of patents as proposed in the past by the United Kingdom and Canada (SCP/18/9).

Reticent to any move toward international harmonisation of patent systems, the Africa Group, and other developing countries, asked for more time to allow national patent offices to review the questions before moving forward with the questionnaire.

Work on quality of patents is much less ambitious than the options presented in the chair?s earlier draft. The SCP agreed to the ?compilation, based on information received from Member States, of work-sharing programs among patent offices and use of external information for search and examination.?

Exceptions and Limitations to Patent Rights

Playing a key role in moving the SCP toward an agreement, the delegate from Brazil noted in his closing remarks, ?It?s clear that no delegation is fully satisfied with the result so far. But, we have managed to come together on a common result, and that is important.?

Brazil came to this session with a new proposal on how the committee could address exceptions and limitations to patent rights (SCP/19/6) involving analysis of exceptions and limitations most commonly used by countries and a seminar exploring these areas during the next SCP.

While the seminar on exceptions and limitations was not in the chair?s first draft, a half-day session made it into the final work plan. On this issue, the WIPO secretariat will prepare a document on how member states have implemented five exceptions and limitations including private and/or non-commercial use; prior use; use of articles on foreign vessels, aircraft and land vehicles.

On the remaining exceptions and limitations, including compulsory licensing and/or government use, the secretariat will prepare a document on how they are implemented. A follow-up half-day session will be held during the 21^st SCP session.

For the next SCP session, three dates have been proposed and most delegates were partial to holding the 20^th SCP starting 9 December.

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Source: http://www.ip-watch.org/2013/03/01/wipo-patent-law-committee-cinches-agreement-on-future-work/

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Apple's Lightning Digital AV Adapter Hides a Tiny Computer

Apple's Lightning Digital AV Adapter is 50 bucks. That's expensive. Apple's Lightning Digital AV Adapter hooks up your iOS devices' Lightning port to HDMI. But it lags and gives artifacts. Apple's Lightning Digital AV adapter actually hides a tiny computer inside in the cable...wait what? Yes. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/whAkufljK_I/apples-lightning-digital-av-adapter-hides-a-tiny-computer

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Twitter will name humanity's furry ancestor

Rob? Nelson? Kate? Fred? What will this little guy be called?
Credit: American Museum of Natural History

By Nidhi Subbaraman

In early February, scientists announced that they'd found our long-lost common ancestor: a tiny, furry creature with a tail that emerged after the dinosaurs disappeared. This ancient animal, about the size of a shrew or a rat, was the grand-mammal of all placentals that came after it. But because the scientists pieced together their knowledge of the animal from a deep stash of data rather than bones or fossils, they didn't get to give it a neat Latin name.

"The reconstruction in the paper is very scientific, but it's an ancestor that we don't have a fossil of," Stony Brook University's Maureen O'Leary, one of the scientists who put its parts together, told NBC News. "We can tell what its anatomy looked like... [but] it's not something you can open a drawer and see." So scientists couldn't put a name on it. And what stuck was: "hypothetical common ancestor."

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If you think that's a mouthful, you're not alone. When the science-loving soundmasters at RadioLab first heard about the furry critter and its odd name, it struck them as distinctly ... unfuzzy. And O'Leary seemed to agree, RadioLab's Molly Webster writes. In fact, she joked, they may be able to do better.

RadioLab jumped on it. They're teaming up with New York's American Museum of Natural History to let anyone help pick a name. You're invited to contribute to the naming contest by tweeting using the hashtag #nameyourancestor all the way until March 5. RadioLab and AMNH and a team of scientists will pick their favorites. Then, everyone gets to vote on their top choice from the final list. While "hypothetical common ancestor" won't be scrubbed from the scientific record, our ancient furry friend might wind up with a more endearing nickname.

Some early entries include: Dwight Shrewte, Shrewquille O'Neal, Tooth-billed ratypus, Katherine,?Steve, and Paw.?Ready, set, tweet! And share your suggestions in the comments below.?

Via The Atlantic, RadioLab

Source: http://science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/01/17148043-twitter-will-produce-the-name-for-humanitys-furry-little-ancestor?lite

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CFPB: Fixing student loans in an effort to help housing | HSH ...

February 28th, 2013 by Marcie Geffner

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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is gathering information to help develop policy options that might aid borrowers struggling to repay private student loans. This issue is important in part because people burdened by student loans are less able to finance a home purchase.

Specifically, the CFPB is seeking input on such issues as:

• How student loans affect the U.S. economy and consumers? access to mortgages and car loans
• How distressed borrowers manage their student loan obligations
• What options borrowers currently have to lower their private student loan payments
• Examples of alternate payment programs that might apply to student loans
• Effective mechanisms for communicating with distressed borrowers

CFPB Director Richard Cordray said in a statement that too many private student loan borrowers are struggling with debt that prevents them from climbing the economic ladder.

?We will be analyzing plans for policymakers to consider that might help avoid a repeat of the mortgage meltdown for today?s student loan borrowers,? Cordray said.

Easier repayment terms for student loans could help people better position themselves to buy a house.

Comments will be accepted until April 8, 2013.

Bank expect higher student-debt delinquencies

Student loans continue to be a subject of concern for lenders, according to FICO, a credit scoring and analytics company in San Jose, Calif.

In a recent quarterly survey of 251 U.S. bank risk professionals, FICO found a generally positive outlook for consumer credit health, but heightened expectations of rising delinquencies on student loan debt. This marked the fifth consecutive quarter in which a majority of survey respondents offered a pessimistic outlook for student loans.

An October 2012 CFPB report found borrowers had trouble negotiating affordable repayment plans for private student loans, which aren?t designed with income-based payment options. This report recommended that policymakers explore ways to encourage alternative repayment and refinance options for student loan debt.

An earlier study by the Pew Research Center found 19 percent of U.S. households owed student debt in 2010, a significant rise compared with the 15 percent of households that owed such debt in 2007. A record 40 percent of households headed by someone younger than 35 years old owed student loan debt, the highest proportion by far among any age group. The average outstanding student loan balance was $26,682.

Unpaid loans impede future borrowing

?As more people default on their student loans, their credit ratings will drop, making it harder for them to access new credit and help grow the economy,? Dr. Andrew Jennings, FICO?s chief analytics officer, said in a statement. ?Even people who stay current on their student loans are dealing with very large debts, which reduces the money they have available to spend elsewhere,? Jennings said.

That elsewhere spending certainly includes housing and costs related to homeownership.

Source: http://blog.hsh.com/index.php/2013/02/cfpb-fixing-student-loans-in-an-effort-to-help-housing/

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How do bacteria clog medical devices? Very quickly

Public release date: 1-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Catherine Zandonella
czandone@princeton.edu
Princeton University

A new study has examined how bacteria clog medical devices, and the result isn't pretty. The microbes join to create slimy ribbons that tangle and trap other passing bacteria, creating a full blockage in a startlingly short period of time.

The finding could help shape strategies for preventing clogging of devices such as stents which are implanted in the body to keep open blood vessels and passages as well as water filters and other items that are susceptible to contamination. The research was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Click on the image to view movie. Over a period of about 40 hours, bacterial cells (green) flowed through a channel, forming a green biofilm on the walls. Over the next ten hours, researchers sent red bacterial cells through the channel. The red cells became stuck in the sticky biofilm and began to form thin red streamers. Once stuck, these streamers in turn trapped additional cells, leading to rapid clogging. (Image source: Knut Drescher)

Using time-lapse imaging, researchers at Princeton University monitored fluid flow in narrow tubes or pores similar to those used in water filters and medical devices. Unlike previous studies, the Princeton experiment more closely mimicked the natural features of the devices, using rough rather than smooth surfaces and pressure-driven fluid instead of non-moving fluid.

The team of biologists and engineers introduced a small number of bacteria known to be common contaminants of medical devices. Over a period of about 40 hours, the researchers observed that some of the microbes dyed green for visibility attached to the inner wall of the tube and began to multiply, eventually forming a slimy coating called a biofilm. These films consist of thousands of individual cells held together by a sort of biological glue.

Over the next several hours, the researchers sent additional microbes, dyed red, into the tube. These red cells became stuck to the biofilm-coated walls, where the force of the flowing liquid shaped the trapped cells into streamers that rippled in the liquid like flags rippling in a breeze. During this time, the fluid flow slowed only slightly.

At about 55 hours into the experiment, the biofilm streamers tangled with each other, forming a net-like barrier that trapped additional bacterial cells, creating a larger barrier which in turn ensnared more cells. Within an hour, the entire tube became blocked and the fluid flow stopped.

The study was conducted by lead author Knut Drescher with assistance from technician Yi Shen. Drescher is a postdoctoral research associate working with Bonnie Bassler, Princeton's Squibb Professor in Molecular Biology and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, and Howard Stone, Princeton's Donald R. Dixon '69 and Elizabeth W. Dixon Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

"For me the surprise was how quickly the biofilm streamers caused complete clogging," said Stone. "There was no warning that something bad was about to happen."

By constructing their own controlled environment, the researchers demonstrated that rough surfaces and pressure driven flow are characteristics of nature and need to be taken into account experimentally. The researchers used stents, soil-based filters and water filters to prove that the biofilm streams indeed form in real scenarios and likely explain why devices fail.

The work also allowed the researchers to explore which bacterial genes contribute to biofilm streamer formation. Previous studies, conducted under non-realistic conditions, identified several genes involved in formation of the biofilm streamers. The Princeton researchers found that some of those previously identified genes were not needed for biofilm streamer formation in the more realistic habitat.

###

Read the abstract.

Drescher, Knut, Yi Shen, Bonnie L. Bassler, and Howard A. Stone. 2013. Biofilm streamers cause catastrophic disruption of flow with consequences for environmental and medical systems. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Published online February 11.

This work was supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, National Institutes of Health grant 5R01GM065859, National Science Foundation (NSF) grant MCB-0343821, NSF grant MCB-1119232, and the Human Frontier Science Program.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 1-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Catherine Zandonella
czandone@princeton.edu
Princeton University

A new study has examined how bacteria clog medical devices, and the result isn't pretty. The microbes join to create slimy ribbons that tangle and trap other passing bacteria, creating a full blockage in a startlingly short period of time.

The finding could help shape strategies for preventing clogging of devices such as stents which are implanted in the body to keep open blood vessels and passages as well as water filters and other items that are susceptible to contamination. The research was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Click on the image to view movie. Over a period of about 40 hours, bacterial cells (green) flowed through a channel, forming a green biofilm on the walls. Over the next ten hours, researchers sent red bacterial cells through the channel. The red cells became stuck in the sticky biofilm and began to form thin red streamers. Once stuck, these streamers in turn trapped additional cells, leading to rapid clogging. (Image source: Knut Drescher)

Using time-lapse imaging, researchers at Princeton University monitored fluid flow in narrow tubes or pores similar to those used in water filters and medical devices. Unlike previous studies, the Princeton experiment more closely mimicked the natural features of the devices, using rough rather than smooth surfaces and pressure-driven fluid instead of non-moving fluid.

The team of biologists and engineers introduced a small number of bacteria known to be common contaminants of medical devices. Over a period of about 40 hours, the researchers observed that some of the microbes dyed green for visibility attached to the inner wall of the tube and began to multiply, eventually forming a slimy coating called a biofilm. These films consist of thousands of individual cells held together by a sort of biological glue.

Over the next several hours, the researchers sent additional microbes, dyed red, into the tube. These red cells became stuck to the biofilm-coated walls, where the force of the flowing liquid shaped the trapped cells into streamers that rippled in the liquid like flags rippling in a breeze. During this time, the fluid flow slowed only slightly.

At about 55 hours into the experiment, the biofilm streamers tangled with each other, forming a net-like barrier that trapped additional bacterial cells, creating a larger barrier which in turn ensnared more cells. Within an hour, the entire tube became blocked and the fluid flow stopped.

The study was conducted by lead author Knut Drescher with assistance from technician Yi Shen. Drescher is a postdoctoral research associate working with Bonnie Bassler, Princeton's Squibb Professor in Molecular Biology and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, and Howard Stone, Princeton's Donald R. Dixon '69 and Elizabeth W. Dixon Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

"For me the surprise was how quickly the biofilm streamers caused complete clogging," said Stone. "There was no warning that something bad was about to happen."

By constructing their own controlled environment, the researchers demonstrated that rough surfaces and pressure driven flow are characteristics of nature and need to be taken into account experimentally. The researchers used stents, soil-based filters and water filters to prove that the biofilm streams indeed form in real scenarios and likely explain why devices fail.

The work also allowed the researchers to explore which bacterial genes contribute to biofilm streamer formation. Previous studies, conducted under non-realistic conditions, identified several genes involved in formation of the biofilm streamers. The Princeton researchers found that some of those previously identified genes were not needed for biofilm streamer formation in the more realistic habitat.

###

Read the abstract.

Drescher, Knut, Yi Shen, Bonnie L. Bassler, and Howard A. Stone. 2013. Biofilm streamers cause catastrophic disruption of flow with consequences for environmental and medical systems. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Published online February 11.

This work was supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, National Institutes of Health grant 5R01GM065859, National Science Foundation (NSF) grant MCB-0343821, NSF grant MCB-1119232, and the Human Frontier Science Program.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-03/pu-hdb030113.php

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Researchers link left-sided brain injury with greater risk for hospital-acquired infections

Feb. 28, 2013 ? Findings published in the March issue of Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation have implications for translational research into brain-mediated immune defenses, infection control practices and cognitive rehabilitation strategies after stroke and brain injury.

West Orange, NJ. February 28, 2013. The March 2013 issue of Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, the medical journal of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, features an article by Kessler researchers Pasquale Frisina, PhD, Ann Kutlik, BA, and A.M. Barrett, MD. The study, "Left-sided brain injury associated with more hospital-acquired infections during inpatient rehabilitation," has implications for further research into brain-mediated immune defenses, infection control practices and cognitive rehabilitation strategies to improve outcomes after stroke and traumatic brain injury.

The study was supported by Kessler Foundation and the National Institutes of Health (grant nos. R01NS055808, K24HD062647).

The authors, a team of stroke specialists from Kessler Foundation and Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, report findings of a retrospective study of 2236 inpatients with brain lesions caused by traumatic brain injury or stroke. Hospital-acquired infection (HAI), a common complication that adversely affects outcomes and costs, was defined as infection diagnosed within 48 to 72 hours of admission. Of the 163 patients identified as having hospital-acquired infections, 60.1% had left-sided lesions. This finding was consistent with the hypothesis that a left-dominant brain immune network (LD-BIN) may influence the occurrence of HAI during inpatient rehabilitation for stroke and TBI.

These findings may help healthcare providers predict who is most susceptible to HAI, according to lead author Pasquale Frisina, PhD, which could help reduce mortality rates, control costs of care and improve outcomes. "The study indicates that antisepsis may not be the best or sole method to manage infection risk after stroke and brain injury," said Dr. Frisina. "Future research should focus on ways to optimize the LD-BIN to improve health. These may include brain stimulation techniques such as direct electrical stimulation of the prefrontal brain or behavioral techniques such as mental/cognitive exercise." He added that this investigative approach might lead to novel interventions aimed at increasing infection resistance, rather than on reducing or eradicating pathogens.

"Clinicians rarely think about the brain and immunity," noted A.M. Barrett, MD, "but the balance between left and right brain activity is known to affect our infection resistance. I'm proud to be part of scientific activities that ask these kinds of innovative questions, and get answers that become the basis for new, improved processes for clinical care."

Pasquale Frisina, PhD, is director of quality management at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange, NJ, and assistant professor in the department of geriatrics and adult development at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. Ann Kutlik, BA, is research and outcomes coordinator at Kessler Institute. A.M. Barrett, MD, is Director, Stroke Rehabilitation Research at Kessler Foundation and Chief, Neurorehabilitation Program Innovation, Kessler Institute of Rehabilitation in West Orange. Dr. Barrett is also professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Medicine and Dentistry, New Jersey Medical School, in Newark, N.J.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Kessler Foundation.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Pasquale G. Frisina, Ann M. Kutlik, Anna M. Barrett. Left-Sided Brain Injury Associated With More Hospital-Acquired Infections During Inpatient Rehabilitation. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2013; 94 (3): 516 DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2012.10.012

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/v0jsIzge6F0/130228171458.htm

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Why some people get zits and others don't

Feb. 28, 2013 ? The bacteria that cause acne live on everyone's skin, yet one in five people is lucky enough to develop only an occasional pimple over a lifetime. What's their secret?

In a boon for teenagers everywhere, a UCLA study conducted with researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute has discovered that acne bacteria contain "bad" strains associated with pimples and "good" strains that may protect the skin.

The findings, published in the Feb. 28 edition of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, could lead to a myriad of new therapies to prevent and treat the disfiguring skin disorder.

"We learned that not all acne bacteria trigger pimples ? one strain may actually help keep skin healthy," said lead author Huiying Li, an assistant professor of molecular and medical pharmacology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "We hope to apply our findings to develop new strategies that stop blemishes before they start, and enable dermatologists to customize treatment to each patient's unique cocktail of skin bacteria."

The scientists looked at a tiny microbe with a big name: Propionibacterium acnes, bacteria that thrive in the oily depths of our pores. When the bacteria aggravate the immune system, they cause the swollen, red bumps associated with acne.

Using over-the-counter pore-cleansing strips, LA BioMed and UCLA researchers lifted P. acnes bacteria from the noses of 49 pimply and 52 clear-skinned volunteers. After extracting the microbial DNA from the strips, Li's laboratory tracked a genetic marker to identify the bacterial strains in each volunteer's pores and recorded whether the person suffered from acne.

Next, Li's lab cultured the bacteria from the strips to isolate more than 1,000 strains. Washington University scientists sequenced the genomes of 66 of the P. acnes strains, enabling UCLA co-first author Shuta Tomida to zero in on genes unique to each strain.

"We were interested to learn that the bacterial strains looked very different when taken from diseased skin, compared to healthy skin," said co-author Dr. Noah Craft, a dermatologist and director of the Center for Immunotherapeutics Research at LA BioMed at Harbor?UCLA Medical Center. "Two unique strains of P. acnes appeared in one out of five volunteers with acne but rarely occurred in clear-skinned people."

The biggest discovery was still to come.

"We were extremely excited to uncover a third strain of P. acnes that's common in healthy skin yet rarely found when acne is present," said Li, who is also a member of UCLA's Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging. "We suspect that this strain contains a natural defense mechanism that enables it to recognize attackers and destroy them before they infect the bacterial cell."

Offering new hope to acne sufferers, the researchers believe that increasing the body's friendly strain of P. acnes through the use of a simple cream or lotion may help calm spotty complexions.

"This P. acnes strain may protect the skin, much like yogurt's live bacteria help defend the gut from harmful bugs," Li said. "Our next step will be to investigate whether a probiotic cream can block bad bacteria from invading the skin and prevent pimples before they start."

Additional studies will focus on exploring new drugs that kill bad strains of P. acnes while preserving the good ones; the use of viruses to kill acne-related bacteria; and a simple skin test to predict whether a person will develop aggressive acne in the future.

"Our research underscores the importance of strain-level analysis of the world of human microbes to define the role of bacteria in health and disease," said co-author George Weinstock, associate director of the Genome Institute and professor of genetics at Washington University in St. Louis. "This type of analysis has a much higher resolution than prior studies that relied on bacterial cultures or only made distinctions between bacterial species."

Acne affects 80 percent of Americans at some point in their lives, yet scientists know little about what causes the disorder and have made limited progress in developing new strategies for treating it. Dermatologists' arsenal of anti-acne tools ? benzoyl peroxide, antibiotics and Accutane (isotretinoin) ? hasn't expanded in decades. Most severe cases of acne don't respond to antibiotics, and Accutane can produce serious side effects.

The research was supported by a grant (UH2AR057503) from the National Institutes of Health's Human Microbiome Project through the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

Co-authors include co-first author Sorel Fitz-Gibbon, Bor-Han Chiu, Lin Nguyen, Christine Du, Dr. Minghsun Liu, David Elashoff, Dr. Jenny Kim, Anya Loncaric, Dr. Robert Modlin and Jeff F. Miller of UCLA; Erica Sodergren of Washington University; and Dr. Marie Erfe of LA BioMed.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences, via Newswise.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Sorel Fitz-Gibbon, Shuta Tomida, Bor-Han Chiu, Lin Nguyen, Christine Du, Minghsun Liu, David Elashoff, Marie C Erfe, Anya Loncaric, Jenny Kim, Robert L Modlin, Jeff F Miller, Erica Sodergren, Noah Craft, George M Weinstock, Huiying Li. Propionibacterium acnes Strain Populations in the Human Skin Microbiome Associated with Acne. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/jid.2013.21

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/genes/~3/iBGU6EmqX9Y/130228080135.htm

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