A new study, published in the December 2021 issue of the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology (JDD), showed endolysin-based cream is well tolerated and effective, with patients reporting significant improvements of symptoms - including itch and redness - within days.¹
The cream has been applied twice daily on eczema patients’ lesions. It contains Micreos’s proprietary endolysin, Staphefekt SA.100™, an enzyme that is well tolerated and helps rebalance the skin microbiome by targeting only the S. aureus bacteria, associated with worsening of eczema. Staphefekt™ SA.100 is already available in skin care products for acne, eczema and rosacea, marketed by Micreos under its Gladskin brand.
Significant improvement within 3 days
Forty-three children and adults, ranging from 7 months old to 57 years, used the cream with Gladskin’s patented endolysin ingredient for two weeks.
- 65% of people showed significant symptom improvement in 3 days.¹
- 91% showed significant symptom improvement by the end of 1 week, after two weeks, itching was reduced by half, tingling by 63%, and burning sensations were reduced by 79%.¹
- 100% of children and 95% of adults reported a significantly improved quality of life at the end of two weeks, with sleep deprivation reduced by 74%.¹
“The role of Staphylococcus aureus in Atopic Dermatitis continues to emerge as a fundamental disease driver. This study is what we have been waiting for - a truly new avenue of treatment for our many patients living with eczema,” says dermatologist Dr. Peter Lio, Scientific Advisory Board member for the American National Eczema Association.
Limiting Staphylococcus aureus key to managing eczema
Eczema is often characterized by an unbalanced skin microbiome. Up to 90% of eczema patients’ lesions are colonized by the bacterial species Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and numerous studies show the correlation between excessive colonization of S. aureus and eczema severity.² “Considering the mounting evidence pointing towards the major negative role of S. aureus in AD and the beneficial role of the skin microbiome for skin homeostasis, a treatment exclusively targeting S. aureus offers many advantages,” the study’s authors noted.
Using endolysins to target Staphylococcus aureus
Staphefekt™ SA.100, the main ingredient used in the study, selectively targets only S. aureus, without harming commensal bacteria. Micreos’s researchers, in close collaboration with the Swiss Federal Technology Institute ETH Zurich, turned to nature's own precision anti-bacterials, named endolysins: These enzymes have the ability to target only S. aureus bacteria, without harming other bacteria of the skin microbiome, comprising billions of 'good' bacteria, essential for our health. Because of their working mechanism, dissolving only the cell wall of the target bacterial species, scientists expect no development of resistance against endolysins. ³ ⁴ ⁵
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References:
1. Moreau M, Seité S, Aguilar L, et al. (2021). Topical S. aureus-targeting endolysin signi”icantly improves symptoms and QoL in individuals with atopic dermatitis. J. Drugs Dermatol. 20(12), 1323-1328. doi:10.36849/JDD.6363
2. H. H. Kong, J. Oh, C. Deming, S. Conlan, E. A. Grice, M. A. Beatson, et al. Temporal shifts in the skin microbiome associated with disease “lares and treatment in children with atopic dermatitis. Genome Res. 2012 May;22(5):850-9.
3. Nelson DC, Schmelcher M, Rodriguez-Rubio L, Klumpp J et al. Endolysins as antimicrobials. Advances in Virus Research. 2012 Jun;83(7):299.
4. Herpers BL, Badoux P, Totté JEE, Pietersma F, Eichenseher F, Loessner MJ. Speci”ic lysis of methicillin susceptible and resistant Staphylococcus aureus by the endolysin Staphefekt SA.100. European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID); Barcelona, 2014.
5. Herpers BL, Badoux P, Pietersma F, Eichenseher F, Loessner MJ. Speci”ic lysis of Staphylococcus aureus by the bacteriophage endolysin Staphefekt SA.100: in vitro studies and human case series. Antibiotic alternatives for the new millenium; London, 2014.