Feature Channels: Dermatology

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Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, and it only takes one blistering sunburn during childhood or adolescence to nearly double a person’s chance of developing melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, later in life. To help protect children and adolescents from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays, the American Academy of Dermatology has awarded shade structure grants to 29 schools and nonprofit organizations across the country.

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Using sound vibrations and pulses of near-infrared light, a Rutgers University scientist has developed a new “virtual biopsy” device that can quickly determine a skin lesion’s depth and potential malignancy without using a scalpel.

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A University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) research team led by Vladimir Zharov, Ph.D., D.Sc., has demonstrated the ability to detect and kill circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the blood using a noninvasive device called Cytophone that integrates a laser, ultrasound and phone technologies. This device is 1,000 times more sensitive than other methods at detecting of CTCs in the blood of patients with melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer.

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A combination of elevated symptoms of depression along with modifications in a gene responsible for dopamine activity, important to the brain’s pleasure and reward system, appear to influence an addiction to indoor tanning in young, white non-Hispanic women.

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Millions of people worldwide have vitiligo, a condition that causes the skin to lose its natural color, resulting in patches of light skin. Although the white or light patches do not typically cause other symptoms, the condition can cause low self-esteem and depression in patients—of whom nearly half develop vitiligo before the age of 21. Although there is no cure for vitiligo, dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology say there is a lot patients can do at home to make vitiligo less visible and help prevent the condition from spreading.

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Dr. Nathan Bryan, one of the nation’s top experts in the health effects of nitric oxide, is pleased to announce that Pneuma Nitric Oxide Activating Skin Serum™, a revolutionary, innovative and patent pending dual chamber technology that delivers nitric oxide gas to the surface of the skin is now available to men and women concerned about combatting the effects of aging skin.Dr. Nathan Bryan, one of the nation’s top experts in the health effects of nitric oxide, is pleased to announce that Pneuma Nitric Oxide Activating Skin Serum™, a revolutionary, innovative and patent pending dual chamber technology that delivers nitric oxide gas to the surface of the skin is now available to men and women concerned about combatting the effects of aging skin.

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In a new research study, researchers at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center used engineering principles to improve the accuracy and efficiency of an evaluation that dermatologists frequently use to check patients for skin cancers.

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Sanjay B. Maggirwar, PhD, MBA, has been selected to serve as chair of the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences

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A UCLA-led research team has pinpointed a three-drug combination that could prove to be an effective new therapy for people with a specific type of advanced melanoma.

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Facial bones in black adults maintain higher mineral density as they age than other races, resulting in fewer changes to their facial structure, a Rutgers study finds. The study, published in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, is the first to document how facial bones change as black adults age. The findings suggest significant differences in how facial bones age across races, which can affect how plastic surgeons approach facial rejuvenation. About 16 percent of black adults seek cosmetic procedures — double that of whites.

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A study led by UNLV anthropologists combed through written records from the 1890s to early 2000s from nearly 200 societies around the world to figure out how pubic hair removal practices differ from Western societies and the motives behind it.

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Studies to be presented at the ASCO meeting are co-authored by research oncologists Eric Whitman, MD; Missak Haigentz, MD; and Angela Alistar, MD. Their ASCO studies include: two separate studies looking at TILS therapy and Keytruda for advanced melanoma; immunotherapy for metastatic head and neck cancer; treatment for recurrent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive nasopharyngeal carcinoma; and a combination of CPI-613 -- a new type of medication, pioneered by Dr. Alistar, known as an altered energy metabolism drug -- with 5-FU in treating metastatic colorectal cancer.

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WACO, Texas May 31, 2019) – Summer signals an increase in mosquito populations, and with more mosquitoes buzzing around, that means more people are dealing with mosquito bites and their consequences, from an itchy inconvenience to serious diseases such as West Nile Virus.

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An environmental expert is available to comment on the need to fund research to combat tick-borne illnesses.

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Findings from Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey focused on immunotherapy will be featured at the 2019 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting being held in Chicago tomorrow through Tuesday.

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Cancer patients previously excluded and underrepresented in immunotherapy clinical trials, such as African Americans and patients with HIV or viral hepatitis, actually benefit at the same rate as patients tested in the clinical trials, according to a Georgetown-led study to be presented at the 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago.

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A new study led by Penn Medicine researchers, which published today in Scientific Reports, found that people have implicit negative biases against people with disfigured faces, without knowingly harboring such biases.

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A decade ago researchers announced development of a cancer immunotherapy called CAR (for chimeric antigen receptor)-T, in which a patient is re-infused with their own genetically modified T cells equipped to mount a potent anti-tumor attack.

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Scientists from the University of Bristol and the Natural History Museum in London have reconstructed the evolutionary history of the chelicerates

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Dehydration, sunburn, heatstroke, insect bites, rashes, and lacerations – summer can spell health meltdown with a seemingly endless list of unsightly, uncomfortable, and potentially lethal hazards.

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As people age, their muscle regeneration capacity declines in part because they can no longer make enough muscle stem cells to replace damaged tissue.

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Kansas State University researchers are helping battle most of the nation's top-priority zoonotic diseases.

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An estimated 9,500 people in the United States are diagnosed with skin cancer every day, yet many Americans will put themselves at greater risk for skin cancer over the upcoming holiday weekend. New data from the American Academy of Dermatology reveals that while most Americans will use sun protection at the beach or pool, many won’t use sun protection when enjoying other outdoor activities such as jogging or cycling, ultimately increasing their risk for skin cancer.

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“Recent accounts of the Food and Drug Administration’s proposed sunscreen rule incorrectly suggest that many sunscreens currently on the market do not meet safety requirements of the FDA. In fact, only two ingredients were proposed to be unsafe — PABA and trolamine salicylate — and these are no longer available in the U.S. The American Academy of Dermatology is reminding the public that sunscreen remains an important way to protect yourself from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. Scientific evidence supports the benefits of sunscreen to prevent sunburn and reduce the risk of skin cancer, the most common cancer in the United States.

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Dr. Julie Merten, an associate professor of public health in the Brooks College of Health at the University of North Florida, has a new study she led that examines how homemade sunscreens were portrayed on Pintrest and whether people should be using organic sunscreen products that aren’t regulated.

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The American Academy of Dermatology has honored oncologist Jennifer Whangbo, MD, PhD, and dermatologist Jennifer Huang, MD, FAAD, as Patient Care Heroes for their collaboration in caring for pediatric stem cell transplant patients.

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Blood tests that track the amount of tumor DNA can ― after only one month of drug therapy ― detect how well treatment is working in patients with skin cancer, a new study finds.

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University of Manitoba tick expert Kateryn Rochon demonstrates and explains the proper way to remove a tick.

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Researchers have gained a greater understanding of the biology of staphylococcus skin infections in mice and how the mouse immune system mobilizes to fight them. A study appears this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Community acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) typically causes skin infections but can spread throughout the body to cause invasive infections such as sepsis, and possibly death.

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UT Southwestern researchers identified a previously unknown bacteria-killing protein on the epidermis that requires vitamin A to work.

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Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, affecting one in five Americans in their lifetime. Yet according to dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology, most cases of skin cancer can be prevented by protecting your skin from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. The best way to do this, they say, is by seeking shade, wearing protective clothing and applying a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. However, in a recent survey, the AAD found that not everyone is applying their sunscreen correctly — leaving people vulnerable to dangerous ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

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Recent news about sunscreen has many consumers confused about the best approach for sun protection, and some have questioned whether they should be using sunscreen at all. To help clear up the confusion, dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology are reminding consumers that sunscreen—along with seeking shade and wearing protective clothing—plays a key role in protecting the skin from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays, which can increase the risk of skin cancer. Throughout Skin Cancer Awareness Month, the AAD is offering tips to help the public “practice safe sun,” including how to select a sunscreen and other ways to prevent skin cancer.

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The study “Effect of Sunscreen Application Under Maximal Use Conditions on Plasma Concentration of Sunscreen Active Ingredients” published in the Journal of the American Medical Association addresses an important question about the potential for certain sunscreen ingredients to be absorbed in the bloodstream.

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Sometimes a little gentle peer persuasion goes a long way toward correcting a large problem. That’s the message from researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and seven collaborating health care organizations which report that a “Dear Colleague” performance evaluation letter successively convinced physicians nationwide to reduce the amount of tissue they removed in a common surgical treatment for skin cancer to meet a professionally recognized benchmark of good practice.

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Mount Sinai researchers have broken new ground in the understanding of the MDM2 gene—which is often overexpressed in cancer—finding that when it acts with a specific protein, it can lead to cancer cell death. The study appears in the May 2, 2019, print edition of Molecular Cell.

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Skin cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancer, yet new data shows Americans aren’t “practicing safe sun.” In a recent survey, the American Academy of Dermatology found only half of Americans always or almost always protect themselves from the sun when they’re outside—increasing their risk for skin cancer, including melanoma.

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It’s finally time to peel off those layers and enjoy the long-awaited warm weather – but first you need to arm yourself with the right information, courtesy of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), to keep your skin safe as temperatures soar.

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The Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees has elected Richard Gray, M.D., as CEO of Mayo Clinic in Arizona.

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Studies have linked psoriasis and higher weight, but the causal relationship between the two has been unclear. What triggers what?

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Scientists and patients from all over the world are gathering in Vancouver, Canada, on Friday and Saturday to discuss new discoveries and future direction in the treatment of Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN), a drug-induced disease that has a mortality of up to 50%.

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Building a bonfire has become a popular activity among teenagers, but a big fire can result in serious burn injuries, cautions Loyola Medicine burn surgeon Arthur Sanford, MD.

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A team from the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences have identified the protein dermcidin as having a potential role in the pathogenesis of the chronic skin disease hidradenitis suppurativa.

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Physicians are scaling back on prescribing antibiotics for long-term acne treatment in favor of a combinations of therapies, according to Rutgers researchers. The findings, published as Part I and Part II in the journal Dermatologic Clinics, surveyed studies on acute and long-term acne treatments over the past decade to identify trends.

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The protein BRAF is a key player in the development of many different types of cancer, including melanoma. Scientists have known that BRAF becomes activated by growth factors and subsequently stimulates downstream proteins that promote cancer cell growth, invasion and survival. However, less is understood about how BRAF is involved in communicating signals from pro-inflammatory cytokines that are released by immune cells in the surrounding tumor environment. Researchers in Moffitt Cancer Center’s Donald A. Adam Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center of Excellence have discovered a signaling pathway between cytokines and BRAF that promotes tumor growth.

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A recent study in the journal PLOS One showed that there is a sharp increase in skin cancer of the eyelids, ears and lips in this country.

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In recognition of May’s Melanoma Monday and Skin Cancer Awareness Month, Mount Sinai Health System experts are using state of the art devices to detect early skin cancers, arming the public with vital tips on prevention and offering free skin cancer screenings.

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Irvine, Calif., April 22, 2019 — With nearly $4 million in funding from the National Institute of Arthritis & Musculoskeletal & Skin Diseases, the University of California, Irvine will establish the UCI Skin Biology Resource-based Center. One of only six such sites in the nation, it will provide critical research infrastructure, shared facilities, services and resources to groups of investigators studying skin biology and diseases.