Teens struggling with skin-scarring acne may soon find relief from an unusual source. Scientists have used genetic sequencing to identify 11 new viruses with the potential to kill the out-of-control bacteria that leads to intense breakouts. The findings add to an emerging body of research that indicates benign-to-human viruses living naturally in and on the body may also be used to go after bed sores, leprosy and drug-resistant staph infections. “Acne could be a superb clinical context for making a test-case for treatments of other diseases,” said Graham Hatfull, a biologist at the University of Pittsburgh, who co- authored the study on acne published this month. “It’s a very attractive prospect.”
