The role of mTORC1 in acne pathogenesis and treatment

Acne vulgaris is a common skin disease in industrialized countries with Western diet characterized by high glycemic load and milk consumption. Accumulating evidence underlines the role of Western diet as a major cause of enhanced nutrient-mediated mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling that may over-stimulate sebocyte growth and sebaceous lipogenesis resulting in sebaceous gland hyperplasia, hyperseborrhoea, Propionibacterium acnes overgrowth with biofilm formation and inflammatory follicular reactions. Substantial evidence from translational research suggests that all anti-acne agents operate by a common mechanism: the attenuation of exaggerated mTORC1 signal transduction in the pilosebaceous follicle. Future acne therapy should combine dietary and pharmacological interventions attenuating mTORC1 signaling by a paleolithic-type diet supported with natural or synthetic mTOR inhibitors.