Studies Show Combination Laser Therapy Effective At Clearing Acne, Reducing Oil Production

Posted : Thu, 05 Mar 2009 22:00:23 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO, March 5

AAD-lasertherapy-acne

Dermatologist evaluates the latest laser and light sources approved for treating acne

SAN FRANCISCO, March 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- From the removal of childhood birthmarks to skin rejuvenation, laser technology has become a mainstay in dermatology. Now, dermatologists are fine-tuning this technology to safely and effectively treat one of the most common skin conditions that plagues teenagers and adults alike: acne.

Speaking today at the 67th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology [AAD] (Academy), dermatologist Macrene Alexiades-Armenakas, MD, PhD, FAAD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn., presented scientific data illustrating how photodynamic therapy combined with a long-pulse, pulsed-dye laser and topical 5-aminolevulinic acid provides long-lasting clearance of acne lesions.

"Laser technology has made great inroads in the treatment of acne, which until recently has been treated almost exclusively - and with varying degrees of success - with topical, systemic and hormonal medications," said Dr. Alexiades-Armenakas. "Now, we have solid evidence-based medicine supporting the effectiveness of certain laser therapies as a long-term solution for treating active acne. The key is to distinguish the benefits and limitations of these available technologies and select the most effective treatments for each acne patient."

Photodynamic Therapy with a Photosensitizer
In a preliminary study, Dr. Alexiades-Armenakas examined whether a combination of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with a photosensitizer known as topical 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and activated by long-pulse, pulsed dye laser could safely and effectively clear mild to severe cases of acne. PDT works by using laser or light energy - in this case a pulsed dye laser was used - to activate the ALA, which is a solution that penetrates into the oil glands and is applied to the skin one hour prior to treatment. As it penetrates, ALA binds to the oil glands and sensitizes the cells to light.

The 14 patients treated with ALA PDT received one to six treatments depending on the severity of their acne and continued to use topical medications during and after the study. The control group consisted of four patients who were either treated with conventional therapy (such as systemic or topical medications) or with laser energy but without ALA PDT.

Upon analyzing the data, Dr. Alexiades-Armenakas found that all (100 percent) of the 14 patients in the ALA PDT treatment group experienced complete clearance of their acne. She reported that an average of 2.9 ALA PDT treatments was administered to this patient group and improvement in the acne lesions was visible within one to two weeks after the first treatment. By comparison, none of the four patients in the control group who were treated with either laser energy alone or conventional therapy achieved complete clearance of their acne.

"The first-of-a-kind study found this particular form of photodynamic therapy used in conjunction with topical therapy to be the first such treatment to achieve complete clearance of acne up to 13 months post treatment and a 77 percent clearance rate per treatment. Four subsequent studies conducted by other investigators involving an additional 75 patients demonstrated similar results," said Dr. Alexiades-Armenakas. "Patients also experienced an added benefit of significant improvement in their acne scars, as the pulsed dye laser offers superior penetration to the deeper layers of the skin where scars form."
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Source

Anti-acne shrimp shells/Nanobac/CNPs

Acne is the scourge of modern youth. It is caused by a number of factors such as excess production of skin oil, the plugging of pores and by bacterial infection. Various over-the-counter treatments are available but these often have side effects such as causing skin to scale and drying out.

Robert Modlin [Link], a dermatologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, US, and colleagues say they have come up with an exciting new treatment based on nanoparticles of chitosan, a polysaccaride from the shells of crustaceans like crabs and shrimps.

While investigating chitosan as a carrier for antibiotics the team made the surprising discovery that the material can kill various bacteria by itself. They say that biodegradable nanoparticles could be used to treat acne and to carry other compounds such as antioxidants and collagen. How long before teenagers are smearing their faces with ground shrimp shell?

Read the full anti-acne nanoparticles patent application. Link

From the patent:
(WO/2007/149868) CONTROLLED RELEASE ENCAPSULATED ANTI-BACTERIAL AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY NANOPARTICLES

[0032] This invention pertains to the development of anti-microbial {e.g., anti- bacterial) nanoparticle compositions that are useful therapeutics in their own right and that can further act as drug carriers and thereby enhance the antimicrobial activity of whatever drug(s) are carried therein.

[0033] In certain embodiments the nanoparticles comprise chitosan and a biocompatible polymer {e.g., alginate). The chitosan-based nanoparticles possess antimicrobial activity by themselves and can readily be used to carry other therapeutic agents including, but not limited to, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs including but not limited to retinoids, fruit acids, antioxidants, dermal filler substances such as collagen and hyaluronic acid, peptides that are antimicrobial or enhance skin remodeling and healing, botox, and the like.

[0034] It is believed the antimicrobial nanoparticle systems of this invention offer a number of benefits. First, highly stable nanoparticles, provide maximum therapeutic benefit without risk of degradation. Second, both the size and physiochemical properties of the nanoparticles provide for increased epidermal penetrance. Third, the physiochemical properties of the nanoparticles can offer delayed release of the therapeutic activity {e.g., of the encapsulated drug(s)), providing the user with the benefit of prolonged impact long after its application. Fourth, the components of the nanoparticles possess minimal toxicity, and have already been approved by the FDA for other medicinal purposes.

[0035] Without being bound to a particular theory, it is believed that several mechanism may account for the therapeutic efficacy of the nanoparticles described herein. One mechanism is based on the interaction between positively charged chitosan molecules and negatively charged microbial cell membranes, which produces a leakage of intracellular components resulting in death of the bacteria. Another mechanism is based on the interaction of chitosan with the membrane of the cell to alter cell permeability. In addition, it is believed that chitosan can act as a chelating agent and bind trace elements, thereby inhibiting bacterial cell growth and toxin production.

[0036] It is also noted that in addition to antibacterial activity, the nanoparticles of the present invention also demonstrate anti-inflammatory activity as well as anti-fungal and anti-viral activity. Without being bound by a particular theory, it is believed that this activity may result from the ability of the nanoparticles to impede fungal adhesion and interferon induction.

[0037] As indicated above, the nanoparticles of this invention show significant antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity. Accordingly, the nanoparticles and nanoparticle compositions of this invention find uses in a wide variety of contexts. The nanoparticles, by themselves, or when they incorporate one or more drugs, are useful for providing topical antimicrobial activity and/or topical anti-inflammatory activity, or, in certain embodiments, the nanoparticles can be orally, nasally, rectally, or parenterally administered.

Article link

Would this prove efficacious in eliminating CNPs??
Nanobac - NNBP - along with The Mayo clinic and NASA are working to eliminate calcifying nanoparticles - CNPs - from our bodies to eliminate hardening of the arteries, kidney stones, gall stones and inflammatory diseases such as arthritis. Nanobac use an antibiotic such as tetracycline to kill these nanobacteria/particles. The product of the above article is inherently antibiotic and acts as a chelating agent also part of Nanobac's treatment.

Nanobac links:
Calcification & Inflammation
Discoveries
Collaborations