Fungi on Your Skin Could Produce a Potent Antibiotic to Fight Infections
Quite literally. It dominates your skin microbiome, where it seems to keep staph infections at bay.
The overlooked agent is a species of natural yeast, called Malassezia sympodialis – one of the most prevalent microorganisms on healthy human skin. New research suggests that as it cleans oil and fat from your body's exterior, the fungi can produce a fatty acid that stops the development and growth of a staph infection.
According to lab experiments, led by scientists at the University of Oregon (UO), M. sympodialis can antagonize Staphylococcus aureus bacteria through its acidic byproducts.
Because the yeast-produced acid is often present in healthy skin, researchers think it stops S. aureus from over-colonizing the microbiome. S. aureus is a normal component of the skin microbiome, but if it takes over, or if it penetrates the tissue or bloodstream, it can seed dangerous infections.
Skin and soft tissue infections involving S.aureus result in approximately 500,000 hospitalizations annually in the United States, and the bacterium is capable of becoming resistant to every class of antibiotics we currently have in our arsenal.
This means new drug therapies must be continuously put forward to stay ahead of its deadly toll. The fact that our skin microbiome has natural defenses against staph infections is worth exploring further.
"There are lots of studies that identify new antibiotic structures," says lead author and evolutionary biologist Caitlin Kowalski from UO, "but what was fun and interesting about ours is that we identified (a compound) that is well-known and that people have studied before."
The compound in question is called 10-hydroxy palmitic acid (10-HP), and in the past, scientists probably overlooked its antimicrobial powers because it only unleashes its toxic effects in a low pH environment, like the skin, and not under normal lab conditions.
Using human skin biopsies from healthy donors, Kowalski and colleagues found the acid was produced by resident Malassezia yeast.
"It was like finding a needle in a haystack but with molecules you can't see," says Kowalski's adviser, biologist Matthew Barber.
In the lab, Barber, Kowalski, and their colleagues tested how M. sympodialis yeast impacts various strains of S. aureus. After two hours of the yeast treatment, most S. aureus strains showed greater than a 100-fold reduction in viability.
Over time, S. aureus strains developed some resistance to M. sympodialis' 10-HP, and the dangerous bacteria did so in a similar way to how they develop tolerance to clinical antibiotics.
Interestingly, researchers found that other species of Staphylococcus bacteria, which do not pose the same threat as S. aureus, had already figured out similar ways to coexist with the M. sympodialis yeast.
"Given the prevalence of Malassezia within the mammalian skin microbiota, we are likely just scratching the surface of its roles in shaping microbial interactions and colonization resistance in this niche," write the authors.
Kowalski is now planning to do a deep dive into the genetic mechanisms of antibiotic-resistant staph infections to better understand how the bacteria rapidly mutates to avoid a whole range of antimicrobial agents.
"We still have a lot of work to do in understanding the microorganisms, and also finding new ways that we can possibly treat or prevent those infections," says Barber.
The study was published in Current Biology.
The First Synthetic 'Mini Prion' Could Help Study Diseases Like Alzheimer's
Here's Why You Should Try 'Jeffing' to Run Longer And Farther
Childhood Adversity May Damage The Brain's White Matter, Study Finds
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
Expert reveals why you should never go to bed with wet hair
Sleeping with wet hair could lead to unexpected problems. Skin and hair experts agree that going to bed before drying your hair can lead to troublesome scalp issues — and even hidden bacteria in your bedsheets. Advertisement Briana Delvecchio, a hairstylist at Ashley Lauren Beauty Lounge in New York, shared in an interview with Fox News Digital that she always advises her clients against sleeping with wet hair for several reasons. When hair is wet, the hydrogen bonds in the strands are temporarily broken, making it more elastic, fragile, and prone to breakage, she cautioned. 'Combine that with friction from your pillowcase, and it's a recipe for split ends, tangles, and long-term damage,' Delvecchio said. The scalp 'also takes a hit,' she added, as a damp scalp trapped against a pillow overnight creates a warm, humid environment that's ideal for fungal growth and bacterial buildup. Advertisement 'This can trigger scalp irritation or dandruff, or even make your roots feel greasy by morning,' the hairstylist warned. 3 Skin and hair experts agree that going to bed before drying your hair can lead to troublesome scalp issues — and even hidden bacteria in your bedsheets. alfa27 – Sleeping with wet hair can also impact facial skin. 'That moisture transfers to your pillowcase, which can harbor bacteria and oil that contribute to breakouts or flare-ups in sensitive skin,' Delvecchio noted. Dr. Noah Gratch, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in New York, told Fox News Digital in a separate interview that he also recommends against sleeping with wet hair. 'While it's not dangerous, there are dermatologic and hair health concerns associated with the habit,' he said. Advertisement Friction against the pillow can exacerbate damage to fragile wet hair, leading to breakage and shedding over time, the dermatologist warned. 3 'Combine that with friction from your pillowcase, and it's a recipe for split ends, tangles, and long-term damage,' hairstylist Briana Delvecchio said. Svitlana – The damp environment can also contribute to scalp and skin issues, he agreed. 'A constantly damp scalp creates a warm, moist environment that can promote the overgrowth of Malassezia, a yeast that naturally lives on the scalp but can proliferate under these conditions,' Gratch said. Advertisement 'This may contribute to scalp conditions, such as seborrheic dermatitis (a chronic inflammatory skin condition) or dandruff.' Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Sleeping with wet hair also increases the risk of developing folliculitis – a skin condition that causes irritation, inflammation, and bumps – or fungal infections in people with 'already compromised skin barriers or oily scalps,' Gratch said. The dermatologist reiterated that moisture trapped on the pillowcase can harbor bacteria, fungi, and dust mites. 3 Sleeping with wet hair also increases the risk of developing folliculitis – a skin condition that causes irritation, inflammation, and bumps – or fungal infections in people with 'already compromised skin barriers or oily scalps,' Dr. Noah Gratch said. Pixel-Shot – 'Prolonged skin contact with this moisture may contribute to acne flare-ups, particularly fungal acne, or exacerbate existing skin conditions like eczema,' he warned. To avoid these complications, Delvecchio recommends towel-drying the hair and using a leave-in conditioner to protect the strands before bed, in addition to blow-drying on low heat or loosely braiding the hair once it's mostly dry. 'A simple routine swap goes a long way toward keeping your hair, scalp, and skin healthy,' she added.
New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
Two extra hours of sleep can ease teen anxiety — but don't overdo it, study warns
Teenagers have a new excuse to hit the snooze button — as long as they don't overdo it. Getting up to two extra hours of shuteye on weekends may help teens feel less anxious, a new study found. But if they sleep much longer than that, it could backfire, triggering more internal stress instead of relief. 'The results show that both sleeping less on weekends than weekdays and sleeping substantially more on weekends were associated with higher anxiety symptoms,' said lead researcher Sojeong Kim, a PhD candidate at the University of Oregon. 3 There's a sweet spot when it comes to sleep, experts said. Sabphoto – The sweet spot? Less than two hours of 'catch-up' sleep — enough to ease anxiety without throwing their internal clock out of whack. The study — based on data from nearly 1,900 adolescents ages 12 to 15 across the U.S. — used Fitbit trackers to measure sleep and the Child Behavior Checklist, a parent-report survey that evaluates emotional and behavioral problems, to assess mood symptoms. Dr. Wendy Troxel, a senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation, told The Post that while letting teens sleep in by up to two hours can offer short-term relief, snoozing much longer than that risks triggering 'social jetlag' — a disruption to their sleep cycle that makes it harder to fall asleep Sunday night and sets them up for a groggy school week. Experts say the findings reflect a broader teen sleep crisis in the U.S. 3 Early school start times is a barrier to teens getting much needed sleep. D Lahoud/ – 'We have a dire epidemic of sleep deficits in young people,' said Dr. Rachel Widome, an epidemiologist and professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. 'Most adolescents do not get enough sleep on school nights.' Only 23% of U.S. teens get the recommended 8 to 10 hours, according to the CDC. Most now average just six or seven — a drop tied to anxiety, chronic absences, poor decision-making and risky behavior. Troxel said teens struggle to get enough sleep due to factors like increased caffeine intake, screen use and busy schedules — but called early school start times 'one of the most significant barriers.' 3 Only 23% of U.S. teens get the recommended 8 to 10 hours, according to the CDC. Most now average just six or seven. StockPhotoPro – Widome and Dr. Shelby Harris, a psychologist at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, said shifting school start times to 8:30 — the minimum recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics — could help 'combat' the crisis, adding that biological changes during puberty make early start times especially brutal. 'This study highlights the need overall for more sleep for our teens,' Harris told The Post. 'Schools start far too early for the vast majority of them when their biology has a natural shift in their circadian rhythm to go to bed later and wake up later.' The findings were published in an online version of the journal Sleep and presented at SLEEP 2025, an annual conference hosted by the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, a joint initiative of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Super relaxing vacation activity can lower your blood pressure and boost your immune system: study
The single greatest thing that you can do to not only live longer but also age well is exercise. But, let's face it — people are lazy. 'We always say that exercise is the primary nonpharmacological treatment that people should be doing to promote health, but some people can't or just won't exercise,' Jessica Atencio, a doctoral student in the lab of University of Oregon professor Christopher Minson, said in a statement. Luckily for us couch potatoes, there's a much more enjoyable activity that Atencio described as 'good supplementation' to working out. If you're staying at a hotel that has a sauna, a hot tub or the increasingly trendy infrared sauna — chances are you're way more likely to be spending your time there than at the gym, especially if you're on vacation. And, according to Atencio's study in the American Journal of Physiology, that's a very good thing. All three types of heat therapy — the use of elevated temperatures to stimulate physiological responses — are said to improve blood flow, lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation and support immune function, but the research has been limited. Moreover, no one has set out to determine which of these three offers the most health benefits. 'We compared the most commonly utilized modalities of passive heating as they're used in everyday life and studied in scientific research,' Atencio said. 'No studies have compared the acute responses between the three.' To answer this question, Atencio and her team compared the effects of soaking in a hot tub versus shvitzing in a traditional sauna or relaxing in an infrared one on 20 healthy men and women. The winner? Pop the champagne for bubbles. 'We saw that hot water immersion was the most impactful in increasing core body temperature, which is the main stimulus for these subsequent responses,' Atencio said. 'Increasing body temperature causes an increase in blood flow, and just the force of blood moving across your vessels is beneficial for your vascular health.' While it might surprise you that 'hot tub' was the answer, the scientists were unfazed. 'Hot water immersion gives you the most robust changes in core temperature because you can't effectively dissipate heat as you can if you have contact with the air and you're sweating to cool the body,' Atencio explained. 'When you're submerged in water, the sweat mechanisms aren't efficient.' As with exercise, you need to hit up the hot tub on a regular basis — and not push yourself past your limits — to really reap the long-term benefits. 'There's no doubt in my mind that if people are willing to do some heat therapy, it's going to align with improved health, as long as it's done in moderation,' Minson said. 'If you repeat these stresses over time, our lab and many others have shown that they are consistent with improved health,' he added. And if you can grab a few friends to join you — or meditate while you're having a solo soak — even better. 'It can be a very peaceful, sometimes religious, sometimes cultural and sometimes social experience,' Minson said. 'And I think those aspects contribute to the health benefits and are critically important.'
