Strategic Targets in Acne: The Comedone Switch in Question
January 2015
in “
Dermatology
”
Studysummary This review revisits mechanisms underlying acne lesion formation and suggests that preventing comedone development requires controlling critical factors in the pilosebaceous follicle before acne involvement. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
The document reviews the process of comedone formation, which is the primary lesion in acne, by examining recent research on sebaceous stem cells and the pilosebaceous response to external substances. It highlights the role of LRIG1+ sebaceous stem cells located in the isthmus of the pilosebaceous duct and discusses the 'master switch' that leads to the transformation of a healthy sebaceous gland into a microcomedone. The paper suggests that the most effective strategy for acne treatment is to target the unaltered pilosebaceous follicles before they enter the acne cycle, emphasizing the importance of long-term control of the factors that trigger the comedone switch.
