A Novel, Targeted Way To Kill Pathogenic C. acnes Bacteria
Antibiotics have long been an integral component of acne care, so much so that dermatologists write more antibiotic prescriptions than any other clinician.
However, using antibiotics for acne care comes with two major drawbacks: the risk of increasing antibiotic resistance within the patient's microbial communities, and the off-target disruption of the patient's microbiome.
At Phoenica Therapeutics we are developing the next generation of targeted methods for killing bacteria that eliminate the unwanted side effects of antibiotic use.
Killing C. acnes Using Conjugatively Delivered CRISPR-Cas Systems
Using CRISPR-Cas systems we are able to specifically target pathogenic strains of C. acnes bacteria.
The plasmid containing our CRISPR-Cas system is delivered to the target bacteria via bacterial conjugation from a commensal bacterial chassis.
Bacterial conjugation is very difficult for bacteria to develop resistance to, and has better penetration than antibiotics under biofilm conditions (like those seen in C. acnes colonized pores).
CRISPR-Cas Mediated Cell Death
The guide RNAs on the delivered plasmid encode for specific regions of the C. acnes genome that are unique to the pathogenic strains of C. acnes.
Once expressed, the CRISPR-Cas system kills the C. acnes cell by creating double stranded DNA cuts at the target sites of the bacterial genome.
Double stranded DNA cuts are very difficult for bacteria to repair, so the C. acnes cell is unable to survive the damage to it's DNA.
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Email: info@phoenicatherapeutics.com
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