George Y. Liu

New Capabilities

Leading preclinical development of selective acne vaccine

Nearly a billion people worldwide have acne, and for decades, the best medicine could offer was topical creams that irritate skin, antibiotics that breed resistance, or a powerful drug — isotretinoin — that causes birth defects. On December 5, 2023, researchers at UC San Diego published a finding that reframes the problem: the bacterium living on every human face produces two versions of the same enzyme. Which version dominates determines whether skin stays clear or breaks out.

Updated May 30