When you purchase through links on our situation , we may pull in an affiliate commission . Here ’s how it forge .

Human skin is home to amultitude of microbes , including some that are helpful and some that could potentially be harmful . Now , a pocket-size pilot subject area show that it might be potential to harnessthe good bacteria , put them into a lotion and then spread that app onto the skin to fight off the bad bacteria .

In the bailiwick , researchers adopt bacterial samples from patients ' skin , foot out sealed species and culture them in a research lab , and then put these bacteria into a lotion . They found that , for five patients with a skin experimental condition , the bacteria - rich app protected them against infections by destroying harmfulgerms on their hide .

Health without the hype: Subscribe to stay in the know.

The findings show that " bacteria have a very important role to play in our immune defense , " Dr. Richard Gallo , chair of the Department of Dermatology at the University of California , San Diego , and one of the field authors , tell Live Science . The study waspublishedFeb . 22 in the diary Science Translational Medicine . [ soundbox hemipteran : 5 Surprising fact About Your Microbiome ]

In the sketch , the researchers looked atpatients with eczema , a stipulation which make fretful , reddish , inflamed skin . In some mass , the precondition is chronic , which mean that it recurs again and again .

Eczema also make affected role more susceptible tostaph infection . ( " Staph " is unretentive for the bacterial group known asStaphylococcus . )

A woman puts lotion on her arm.

The research worker determine that the patient role who hadpersistent eczematended to be substandard in the friendly bacterium that kill a type of bacteria calledStaphylococcusaureus . In contrast , mass without eczema have an abundance ofthe helpful bacterium , according to the study .

The investigator analyzed the well-disposed breed of bacteria , which are also forms of staphylococcus , but eccentric that do not cause harm . They line up that these bacterium produce two lifelike antibiotic agents , make love as " antimicrobial peptides , " according to the study . The human physical structure also makes these substances , but the young study suggests that the bacteria on the skin do a better problem of producing them , the researchers said .

In experiment using cop skin and mouse , the researchers found thatthe " beneficial " bacteriastrongly inhibited the growth of several harmful staphylococcus air , includingmethicillin - resistantStaphylococcus aureus , or MRSA , a pathogen that is resistant to multiple type of antibiotics .

An electron microscope image showing myelin insulating nerve fibers

What ’s more , the animal experimentation showed that even as pathogens were kill off , other colonies of bacteria keep on to boom . Conversely , traditionalantibiotics tend to destroyboth helpful and harmful germs all at once , potentially weaken people ’s immune reaction .

The five patients in the subject field had only bantam amount of money of thegood bacterium on their skin , and all tested positive for the eccentric of staphylococcus that causes infection . The researchers swabbed the patient ' skin , and cultured the few friendly straining of bacteria they could come up . Then , they grew more of these bacteria in the lab , and added the microbes to a program .

To examine whether the dependable bacteria would bolt down harmful bacterium , and avail keep infection , the researchers had the patient apply their own personalized microbe - containing lotion to one arm and even moisturizer to the other . After 24 hour , in all five affected role , only the arms treated with the microbe - containing lotion show up near full improvement , and in two patients , the staphylococcus pathogens were destroyed exclusively . [ 7 Absolutely atrocious Head Infections ]

An illustration of microbiota in the gut

While the result of this psychometric test were assure , question stay .

First , the study was very little , so the results need to be affirm in big studies . In addition , although the lotion prevented skin infections , it ’s not light whether it would improve the patients ' skin condition , Gallo said .

Researchers also do n’t bed if the affected role were " bring around " of the staphylococcus pathogen , or if they would need to keep reapplying the lotion in the future .

Pseudomonas aeruginosa as seen underneath a microscope.

For this study , the bacterium in the software came from the patient role ' own skin , but that ’s already changing .

" The next - point trial that is afoot now is to just utilise one universal nisus and apply it to everyone , " Gallo say .

Original article on Live Science .

a black and white photograph of Alexander Fleming in his laboratory

An illustration of Clostridium bacteria

white woman wearing white sweater with colorful animal print tilts her head back in order to insert a long swab into her nose.

Gilead scientists engaging in research activity in laboratory

Image of Strongyloides stercoralis, a type of roundworm, as seen under a microscope.

An artist�s rendering of the new hybrid variant.

The tick ixodes scapularis, also called black-legged tick or deer tick, can infect people with the potentially fatal Powassan virus.

A vial of CBD oil and a dropper.

An image comparing the relative sizes of our solar system�s known dwarf planets, including the newly discovered 2017 OF201

a person holds a GLP-1 injector

A man with light skin and dark hair and beard leans back in a wooden boat, rowing with oars into the sea

an MRI scan of a brain

A photograph of two of Colossal�s genetically engineered wolves as pups.

an abstract image of intersecting lasers

Split image of an eye close up and the Tiangong Space Station.