Watch CBS News

Treatment Using Bacteria Might Bring Relief To Eczema Suffers

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – There's some potentially good news for sufferers of the persistent, itchy rash called eczema.

It's not just kids and babies who suffer from it. It's the most common skin disease in the world.

As CBS2's Dr. Max Gomez reported, there's now a clinical trial using bacteria to treat this. Remember, there's good bacteria and bad bacteria.

For many eczema patients, life is a never-ending merry-go-round of itching, scratching and harsh medications. Still, the ugly skin rashes keep coming back.

This new treatment is a skin version of taking probiotics for intestinal health.

Cassandra Rodriguez has struggled with eczema all her life and she's tried just about every treatment on the market.

"The worst symptom would be the itching and the scratching, and you can't get it," she said.

Eczema, also called atopic dermatitis, looks like an allergic reaction, but it's actually a combination of genetic predisposition, abnormal immune system function and environmental triggers. In addition to the terrible itching and unsightly appearance, the broken skin is easily infected.

Now, Dr. Donald Leung and his team at National Jewish Health are taking a new approach to treating eczema – using bacteria to restore healthy skin.

Skin normally contains more than 1,000 species of bacteria. Some damage the skin and make eczema worse, but others actually help the skin.

"The bacteria is educating the skin to actually mature and create a better barrier," Dr. Leung said. "Good bacteria are deficient in people with atopic dermatitis."

Researchers apply the good bacteria to patients' skin in a lotion and then examine samples in the lab to see if it restores a healthy bacterial balance, preventing harmful infections and reducing the need for harsh, short-term treatments.

"We're hoping that this bacterial cream… will become a natural part of the skin," said Dr. Leung.

Rodriguez hopes the research leads to a treatment that will provide a long-term solution. While results of the clinical trial aren't yet known, she said she noticed a difference.

"It didn't itch and it didn't burn as bad," she said. "It was kind of nice to see something starting to help."

While we wait for results from the trial, it's important to avoid eczema triggers, including skin irritants like soaps and cleansers, perfume, makeup, cigarette smoke and even stress.

Even though eczema is not an allergic reaction, sufferers are more likely to also have asthma, food and seasonal allergies.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.