Sweat-eating, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria may benefit skin health

The ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, Nitrosomonas, may have a future as a self-regulating topical delivery agent for nitrite and nitric oxide to the skin, according to data from a poster presented at the 5^th American Society for Microbiology Conference on Beneficial Microbes.

The Gram-negative chemolithoautotrophic bacteria derive energy solely from the oxidation of ammonia to nitrite and are capable of generating nitric oxide, according to the poster.

Larry Weiss

Ioannis Gryllos

The researchers hypothesized that ammonia-oxidizing bacteria may have beneficial effects on skin conditions, as nitric oxide is known to be a part of physiological functions such as vasodilation, skin inflammation and wound healing.

In the blinded, placebo-controlled study, 24 patients applied a live Nitrosomonas suspension to their face and scalp twice daily for 1 week and were followed-up for two additional weeks. The researchers assessed the presence of Nitrosomonas and examined microbial diversity by taking scalp swabs at baseline and on days 1, 3, 8, 14 and 21.

No adverse events were associated with topical application, according to the researchers.

Through PCR analysis, the bacteria were found in 83% to 100% of skin swabs obtained from ammonia-oxidizing bacteria users during or immediately after the 1-week period and in 60% of users on day 14; however, none were found in the placebo control samples, according to the researchers.

Increased levels of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria during the 1-week application period correlated with a qualitative improvement in skin condition, whereas patients who used placebo reported no improvement.

In a press release pertaining to the study, study author and Chief Medical Officer of AOBiome, Larry Weiss, MD, explained that the next step is to conduct clinical trials to determine the therapeutic potential of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in patients with acne or diabetic ulcers.

Reference:

Weiss L. Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria for topical skin applications: safety, detection and skin metagenomics. Presented at: the 5th American Society for Microbiology Conference on Beneficial Microbes. Sept. 27-30, 2014; Washington, D.C.