Acne is the most common dermatological condition that affects close to 80% of the 10-30 years old cohort with varying degrees of severity, and can cause significant psychosocial issues that can be debilitating for the patients. There is a large unmet medical need in acne treatments because of the increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the significant side effects of current treatments. Enzybiotics is a class of antimicrobial enzymes derived from bacteriophages that break down bacterial cell wall during the lytic cycle, are capable of killing the cell even when applied outside and are less prone to inducing resistance. We discovered a novel class of bacteriophage-derived enzymes that unexpectedly can selectively kill the bacteria that cause acne.
We aim to develop the most potent and selective antimicrobial enzymes to target the bacteria involved in acne but not normal microbiota. Success in this proof-of-concept proposal will lead to further development of these antimicrobial proteins as effective acne therapeutics superior to current treatments.

Public Health Relevance

Dermalytica Inc. aims to develop novel and more effective treatments for acne, a major dermatological condition, particularly amongst teenagers who face increasing incidence of resistance to broad-spectrum antibiotics. We will develop a class of ?natural anti-microbial? enzymes to specifically target the bacteria that cause acne. Success in this proof-of-concept proposal will lead to further development of these agents as more effective therapeutics for acne.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Type
Small Business Innovation Research Grants (SBIR) - Phase I (R43)
Project #
1R43AR071172-01
Application #
9253307
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-MOSS-U (12)B)
Program Officer
Cibotti, Ricardo
Project Start
2016-09-01
Project End
2017-05-31
Budget Start
2016-09-01
Budget End
2017-05-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2016
Total Cost
$229,997
Indirect Cost
Name
Dermalytica, Inc.
Department
Type
DUNS #
079566359
City
Northborough
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
01532