A microbial extract from Finnish forests can heal eczema, a biotech startup says

Finland’s vast green forests are famously restorative. So restorative that they can even treat diseases.

That’s according to Uute Scientific, a biotech firm based in Helsinki. The company has created a unique remedy: a microbial extract that replicates Finnish nature. Today, the startup revealed new evidence of the organism’s powers.

The extract targets a growing health problem. Immune systems, Uute says, are being weakened by urbanisation and oversanitation. As a result, city dwellers have higher rates of many allergic, inflammatory, and auto-immune diseases.

Biodiversity could give their bodies a boost. Unfortunately, the benefits aren’t always readily available on tap. But you can, apparently, put them in a pot.

Uute’s extract combines plant material and composts to recreate Finland’s microbial biodiversity. The rich soil, pure water, and clean air blend into a new substance. Uute calls the product Re-Connecting Nature (RCN).

To test the benefits, Uute studied the impact of RCT on atopic dermatitis — the most common form of eczema. The results suggest the treatment really works.

Finnish nature vs eczema

The study team recruited 142 participants with atopic dermatitis. Half of them were given an RCT lotion, while the other half received a placebo.

Both the groups applied the lotion alongside any conventional medication they wanted. After seven months, Uute measured the effects on their skin.

According to the startup, the RCT lotion strengthened the skin’s protective barrier. It also prevented irritation.

The benefits increased during winter, when many eczema sufferers find their skin gets itchier. In the placebo group, meanwhile, the deterioration was significant.

Tellingly, the RCT group also felt less need for conventional treatment. At the beginning of winter, 49% of them used atopic medication. In the placebo group, the figure jumped to 77%.

Uute’s CEO, Kari Sinivuori, said the results prove RCT has real health benefits.

“For the first time in the world, we were able to show that nature exposure helps people who already have immune-mediated disease,” Sinivuori told TNW.

There’s potentially a big market for the treatment. Over 200 million people across the world live with atopic dermatitis. The current medication can have many side effects. RCT could provide a compelling alternative.

But for Uute, atopic eczema is just the start.

“Other immune-mediated diseases, such as different allergies, asthma, Parkinson’s disease, or Alzheimer’s, are also likely to benefit from this,” said Sinivuori.