Dandruff trigger genome identified
Updated on 06 November 2007
Scientists have said they made a breakthrough in understanding a fungus which causes dandruff and other skin disorders.
They have used DNA advances to help them successfully sequence the complete genome Malassezia globosa (M. globosa), which occurs naturally and is a key trigger of the embarrassing flaky skin complaint.
Procter & Gamble (P&G), which was involved in the study, said it would enable scientists to target treatment more precisely to help the millions of suffers worldwide give the itchy condition the brush off.
The study entailed cultivating the equivalent amount of the fungus that would be found on the heads of the entire population of London.
Humans naturally secrete sebum, or oils, and other lipids onto the scalp, creating a prime environment for the common fungus to thrive, with average person hosting to up to 10 million M. globosa.
More than 50% of people are affected by dandruff and the more severe seborrheic dermatitis and around £3 billion a year is spent by consumers worldwide to combat the conditions.
But scientists from P&G Beauty in Cincinnati, Ohio, who carried out the study said that despite Malassezia's role in these and other common skin diseases, including eczema, atopic dermatitis and psoriasis, little was previously known about the fungus at the molecular level.
They said symptoms of dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis occur when three factors come together - genetic susceptibility for an inflammatory response, sebum on the scalp and M. globosa presence.
Results of the genome sequencing were being published in the online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
"A complete genomic sequencing of a Malassezia genome opens tremendous opportunities for researchers to understand the interactions of fungi and humans," said Thomas Dawson, principal author of the PNAS study.
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