Bacteriophages and their endolysin components have attracted the interest of the world-renowned cosmetics company L'Oréal. Due to their unique properties, namely their ability to target bacteria with high specificity, bacteriophage endolysins can be incorporated into innovative skincare products.

On October 29, 2020, a Dutch biotechnology company signed a licensing agreement with the global cosmetics leader, French company L'Oréal, to join forces in studying the microbial communities living on human skin and addressing issues related to microbial imbalances. Under the terms of the agreement, the biotechnology company provides L'Oréal experts with access to an endolysin preparation for use in cosmetic products. Endolysins are bacteriophage enzymes whose function is to dissolve the bacterial cell wall to release mature phage particles. Endolysins are as specific to specific strains or species of bacteria as the bacteriophages they belong to, making them suitable for use as a highly specific agent for killing bacteria. Endolysins, like bacteriophages, can selectively destroy pathogenic bacteria without harming beneficial microflora.

For 15 years, L'Oréal's Research and Innovation department, working with various scientific institutions, has been studying the role of the human skin microbiome. The company's experts are convinced that endolysins open up new prospects for the creation of high-tech cosmetics. The biotech company's portfolio currently includes several endolysin drugs specific for Staphylococcus aureus , the causative agent of many diseases, including skin diseases.

We previously reported that patient recruitment has opened for phase I/IIa clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical application of a drug based on bacteriophage endolysins for the treatment of atopic dermatitis.