Christopher Bunick, MD, PhD has received the American Acne and Rosacea Society's the 2023 Research Scholar Award.

Christopher G. Bunick, MD, PhD, to lead research into novel antibiotics for the treatment of acne.

MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES, August 24, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- The American Acne and Rosacea Society (AARS) is pleased to announce that the 2023 Research Scholar Award has been provided to Christopher G. Bunick, MD, PhD, of Yale University. The award will fund research aimed at identifying novel antibiotic compounds for the treatment of acne.

Antibiotics are commonly used for a variety of dermatologic conditions. Guidelines of care indicate that they may be appropriate within a combination regimen for the short-term treatment of moderate to severe acne.(1)

Tetracyclines account for the majority of antibiotics used in dermatology,(2) including first-generation (tetracycline) and second-generation (doxycycline; minocycline) broad-spectrum agents, as well as a third-generation narrow-spectrum agent (sarecycline) approved for the treatment of acne in 2018. However, antibiotic use is associated with the risk for antibiotic resistance, which has been deemed a global public health threat.(3)

Dr. Bunick and colleagues at the Bunick laboratory propose to elucidate fundamental mechanisms of action of tetracycline antibiotics with a goal to identify a highly selective agent for Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) that has higher efficacy and less risk of antibiotic resistance than currently used antibiotic therapies. Specifically, inspired by their findings related to the molecular interaction of sarecycline with the C. acnes bacterium, they will investigate the molecular actions of more than 20 tetracycline-class compounds to determine which show the greatest potential efficacy against the bacterium.

C. acnes is a commensal organism that resides on human skin. An over-abundance of C. acnes and subsequent accumulation of its inflammatory byproducts is a primary contributor to the development of acne.

The AARS Research Scholar Award is conferred on an annual basis to support promising research aimed at improving the care of patients with acne, rosacea, and hidradenitis suppurativa. Awards are conferred based on a rigorous application and review process, in which the grant committee assesses the feasibility of the study, its potential to expand understanding of acne, rosacea, hidradenitis suppurativa, and related diseases, and the likely practical impact of research findings.

“We are pleased to be able to support Dr. Bunick’s research on novel tetracycline compounds that could be used to treat acne,” says Andrea Zaenglein, MD, president of the AARS. “Acne is a common disease that can have a significant impact on affected individuals. Oral antibiotics are one important tool in our treatment toolkit. However, we take the risk for antibiotic resistance seriously. The potential to target C. acnes more efficiently with reduced risk for resistance is certainly appealing.”

Updates on Dr. Bunick’s research will be available from the AARS. Information on past awards can be found at acneandrosacea.org.

For more information or to schedule an interview with an AARS expert, please contact: info@aarsmember.org

About AARS
The American Acne and Rosacea Society (acneandrosacea.org) is a Section 501(c)(3) non-profit Public Benefit Corporation established in 2005. Our three-part mission is to:
Mission 1: Facilitate the interchange of knowledge and to stimulate education among experts from varied scientific backgrounds in the areas of acne, hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), and rosacea
Mission 2: Improve the care of patients who suffer from acne/HS, and rosacea
Mission 3: Promote and fund acne/HS and rosacea clinical research and mentorship opportunities for dermatology healthcare professionals.

1. Corcoran L, Muller I, Layton AM, et al. Systematic review of clinical practice guidelines for acne vulgaris published between January 2017 and July 2021. Skin Health Dis. 2023;3(4):e240. Published 2023 May 23. doi:10.1002/ski2.240
2. Del Ross J.Q., Webster G.F., Rosen T. Status report from the scientific panel on antiobiotic use in dermatology of the American Acne and Rosacea Society:part 1: Antiobiotic prescribing patterns, sources of antibiotic exposure, antibiotic consumption and emergence of antibiotic resistance, impast of alterations in antibiotic prescribing, and clinical sequelae of antibiotic use. J. Clin. Aesthet. Dermatol. 2016;9:18.
3. Antibiotic resistance. Web: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antibiotic-resistance. Accessed August 18, 2023.

Paul Winnington
American Acne and Rosacea Society
+1 302-545-3770
email us here

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