Company-Backed Study Reports a Cyclic Antimicrobial Peptide That Kills Acne Bacteria and Cuts Oil Production in Lab Tests
Researchers from Dermatide Biotec in Singapore, DFSIN Biotechnology in Shanghai, and Jiangnan University reported in Scientific Reports on October 11, 2026 a cyclic antimicrobial peptide, AMCP, that killed the acne bacterium C. acnes at 0.5 µg/mL and S. aureus at 1.0 µg/mL, reduced hormone- and fatty-acid-driven oil production in skin oil-gland cells by 40.0% and 29.1%, and lowered several inflammatory signals in skin cells. A delivery mix of 2% propylene glycol and 0.1% sodium surfactin raised the peptide's passage through skin fivefold in lab tests. All results come from cells and skin-permeation models, not people.