{
  "abstract": "Acne vulgaris is a complex inflammatory disorder, and current treatment options are often limited by antibiotic resistance and cutaneous irritation, underscoring the urgent need for safer multi-target therapeutic alternatives. In this study, a novel antimicrobial cyclic peptide (AMCP) was systematically evaluated for its multidimensional anti-acne efficacy, and a penetration enhancer was developed for improving the topical dermal delivery. At a concentration of 20 µg/mL, AMCP inhibited dihydrotestosterone (DHT)- and linoleic acid (LA)-induced lipid synthesis in SZ95 sebocytes by 40.0% and 29.1%, respectively. Furthermore, it exhibited potent bactericidal activity against C. acnes (MIC or MBC at 0.5 µg/mL) and S. aureus (MIC or MBC at 1.0 µg/mL). AMCP suppressed key inflammatory mediators (IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, TNF-α, and PGE₂) in a concentration-dependent manner in both HaCaT keratinocytes and SZ95 sebocytes. Additionally, it promoted keratinocyte migration, upregulated the expression of epidermal differentiation genes (FLG, IVL, Claudin-1, and KRT1), and downregulated KLK7 expression. Notably, the combination of 2% propylene glycol and 0.1% sodium surfactin synergistically enhanced topical dermal delivery of AMCP, resulting in a 5-fold increase in cumulative permeation at 8 h. In conclusion, AMCP exerts anti-acne effects through a multi-functional mechanism involving sebum control, antibacterial activity, anti-inflammation, and cell migration, while also overcoming the bottleneck of topical dermal delivery. These findings provide a new cyclic peptide with anti-acne efficacy, positioning AMCP as a promisingly anti-acne ingredient.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 10,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Nannan Yu"
    },
    {
      "name": "Gantong Guo"
    },
    {
      "name": "Luyao Zhang"
    },
    {
      "name": "Tao He"
    },
    {
      "name": "Meng Zhang"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jingting Wang"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jinfang Wang"
    },
    {
      "name": "Robin Yao"
    },
    {
      "name": "Guang-Li Wang"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jing Wang"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/59kwznnjkjmgq.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1038/s41598-026-75285-7",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "59kwznnjkjmgq",
  "issns": [
    "2045-2322"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-75285-7",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2708|Acne and Rosacea Treatments and Effects"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7165172684",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-75285-7_reference.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-11",
  "publisher": "Springer Science and Business Media LLC",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/59kwznnjkjmgq.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:26Z",
      "native_id": "10.1038/s41598-026-75285-7",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-75285-7"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2708|Acne and Rosacea Treatments and Effects",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "An antimicrobial cyclic peptide with multitarget efficacy for acne",
  "title_text": "An antimicrobial cyclic peptide with multitarget efficacy for acne",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:26Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/59kwznnjkjmgq",
  "venue": "Scientific Reports",
  "versions": []
}