People working up a lather at the gym may be doing more than shedding a few pounds. They could be protecting their skin from infection.
In an upcoming Nature Immunology, German researchers report that human sweat contains a novel microbe-killing molecule, which they’ve dubbed dermicidin. Further study of this small protein, or peptide, may lead to new ways of defeating disease-causing germs, the scientists suggest.
Log in
Subscribers, enter your e-mail address for full access to the Science News archives and digital editions.