A recent study has identified 29 new genetic variants that are more common in people with acne, paving the way for potential treatments in the future.

The research, aided by the National Institute for Health Research Guy’s and St Thomas’ BRC, collected data from over 20,000 individuals with acne. 

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With this discovery, the total number of known variants found in people with acne has gone up to 46, allowing doctors to identify those at high risk of severe disease, according to a report published in ScienceDirect.

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Nearly 80% of teenagers across the world are estimated to be impacted by acne, which might often result in scars, pimples, cysts, pigmentation, and spots. Research has found evidence linking severe acne to negative psychological consequences among this particular age group. 

Professor Michael Simpson, Head of the Genomic Medicine Group at King’s College London, said, “We know that the causes of acne are complicated, with a mix of biological factors such as genetics and hormones, and environmental factors. Understanding the genetics of the condition will help us to disentangle some of these causes, and find the best way to treat the condition. This is a really promising area for further study, and opens up a lot of avenues for research.”

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The study, published in the journal Nature, also found evidence for the association between genetic risk of acne and disease severity. 

According to Catherine Smith, Professor of Dermatology and Therapeutics at St John’s Institute of Dermatology at Guy’s and St Thomas’, these findings will help with treatment advances in acne, which have, so far, been limited. “As well as suffering from the symptoms of acne, individuals describe consequent profound, negative impacts on their psychological and social wellbeing. It’s exciting that this work opens up potential avenues to find treatments for them,” she said, as quoted in ScienceDirect.

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The research — the largest of its kind — was conducted by researchers at the St John’s Institute of Dermatology at Guy’s and St Thomas’, NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London, and the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Insitute in Brisbane.