Particles that release nitric oxide into the skin to decrease skin inflammation caused by C. acnes and the immune system have shown promise for improving acne in early clinical trials. Another avenue of early-stage research has focused on how to best use laser and light therapy to selectively destroy sebum-producing glands in the skins hair follicles to reduce sebum production and improve acne appearance.The use of antimicrobial peptides against C. acnes is under investigation as a treatment for acne to overcoming antibiotic resistance. In 2007, scientists reported the first genome sequencing of a C. acnes bacteriophage (PA6). The authors proposed applying this research toward the development of bacteriophage therapy as an acne treatment to overcome the problems associated with long-term antibiotic use, such as bacterial resistance. Oral and topical probiotics are under evaluation as treatments for acne. Probiotics may have therapeutic effects for those affected by acne due to their ability to decrease skin inflammation and improve skin moisture by increasing the skins ceramide content. As of 2014, knowledge of the effects of probiotics on acne in humans was limited.Decreased levels of retinoic acid in the skin may contribute to comedo formation. Researchers are investigating methods to increase the skins production of retinoic acid to address this deficiency. A vaccine against inflammatory acne has shown promising results in mice and humans. Some have voiced concerns about creating a vaccine designed to neutralize a stable community of normal skin bacteria that is known to protect the skin from colonization by more harmful microorganisms.
An accessory spleen is a small nodule of splenic tissue found apart from the main body of the spleen. Accessory spleens are found in approximately 10 percent of the population and are typically around 1 centimetre in diameter. They may resemble a lymph node or a small spleen. They form either by the result of developmental anomalies or trauma. They are medically significant in that they may result in interpretation errors in diagnostic imaging or continued symptoms after therapeutic splenectomy. Polysplenia is the presence of multiple accessory spleens rather than one normal spleen. Causes and locations
Accessory spleens may be formed during embryonic development when some of the cells from the developing spleen are deposited along the path from the midline, where the spleen forms, over to its final location on the left side of the abdomen by the 9th–11th ribs. The most common locations for accessory spleens are the hilum of the spleen and adjacent to the tail of the pancreas. They may be found anywhere along the splenic vessels, in the gastrosplenic ligament, the splenorenal ligament, the walls of the stomach or intestines, the pancreatic tail, the greater omentum, the mesentery, the renal fossa, or the gonads and their path of descent. The typical size is approximately 1 centimeter, but sizes ranging from a few millimeters up to 2–3 centimeters are not uncommon.Splenogonadal fusion can result in one or more accessory spleens along a path from the abdomen into the pelvis or scrotum.