Sebum Free Fatty Acids Enhance the Innate Immune Defense of Human Sebocytes by Upregulating Beta-Defensin-2 Expression

    December 2009 in “ Journal of Investigative Dermatology ”
    Teruaki Nakatsuji, Ming‐Shan Kao, Liangfang Zhang, Christos C. Zouboulis, Richard L. Gallo, Chun‐Ming Huang
    TLDR Free fatty acids in sebum boost skin's defense against acne by increasing antimicrobial peptides.
    The study concluded that sebum free fatty acids (FFAs) such as lauric acid, palmitic acid, and oleic acid significantly enhanced the innate immune defense of human sebocytes by upregulating the expression of β-defensin-2 (hBD-2). This upregulation increased the antimicrobial activity of sebocytes against Propionibacterium acnes, a bacterium associated with acne. The FFA-induced hBD-2 expression was mediated by the CD36 protein and the NF-κB signaling pathway. These findings suggested that FFAs could serve as a multifunctional antimicrobial therapy for acne vulgaris by both directly killing bacteria and boosting the skin's innate immune defense.
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