Feature Channels: Dermatology

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Researchers in France have discovered that, though a tattoo may be forever, the skin cells that carry the tattoo pigment are not. Instead, the researchers say, the cells can pass on the pigment to new cells when they die. The study, which will be published March 6 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, suggests ways to improve the ability of laser surgery to remove unwanted tattoos.

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A powerful resistance mutation that appeared to emerge in melanoma after a patient received a targeted therapy combination, instead was lurking in the tumor all along, primed to thwart treatment before it began, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report online at Cancer Discovery.

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Surgical oncologist Dr. Cristina O’Donoghue is one of less than 30 surgeons in the country to trained to perform isolated limb infusion, which delivers high doses of chemotherapy to an affected arm or leg but not the rest of the body

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Science continues to peel away layers of the skin microbiome to reveal its protective properties. In a study published in Science Advances on February 28, University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers report a potential new role for some bacteria on the skin: protecting against cancer.

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Still’s disease is a serious orphan disease manifested by high fevers, skin and joint involvement, including paralysis, as well as damage to other organs such as the liver or spleen.

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Data from a new study led by University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center researchers shows that repurposing drugs used to treat leukemia has promise for preventing melanoma metastasis.

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In JCI Insight, researchers reported the results of a phase I, multi-institution clinical trial for an investigational treatment for melanoma and other cancers with mutations in the BRAF or RAS genes.

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UNC and NC State scientists created an injectable gel-like scaffold that can hold combination chemo-immunotherapeutic drugs and deliver them locally to tumors in a sequential manner. The results in animal models suggest this approach could one day ramp up therapeutic benefits for cancer patients.

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Researchers have shown for the first time that a key protein called KMT2D involved in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression guides this renewal.

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Suzanne M. Olbricht, MD, FAAD, a Boston-based dermatologist, will begin her one-year term as president of the American Academy of Dermatology on Tuesday, Feb. 20, at the conclusion of the 2018 AAD Annual Meeting in San Diego.

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The American Academy of Dermatology will install two new officers and four new members of its board of directors on Tuesday, Feb. 20, at the conclusion of the 2018 AAD Annual Meeting in San Diego.

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Microneedling treatments can improve the appearance of large pores, fine lines and wrinkles, scars, and stretch marks, but at-home devices won’t provide the same effects as an in-office treatment from a board-certified dermatologist.

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Because cannabis has anti-inflammatory properties, there may be potential for topical cannabis to improve conditions such as acne, psoriasis and eczema by reducing the inflammation associated with these diseases.

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A survey of more than 1,200 parents indicates that some groups are more likely than others to have favorable attitudes toward adolescent indoor tanning, which can increase young people’s risk of developing skin cancer later in life.

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To get the best possible results and avoid complications, those interested in cosmetic procedures should seek care from a qualified, experienced doctor like a board-certified dermatologist.

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While it may not be as common as other skin cancers, Merkel cell carcinoma is highly aggressive and often deadly — and according to new research, it’s also becoming more common.

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Two vaccines are available to help prevent shingles, which can affect anyone who has had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine; both diseases are caused by the same virus, which stays in the body after chickenpox clears.

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An antibody used to treat the skin disease psoriasis is also effective at reducing aortic inflammation, a key marker of future risk of major cardiovascular events.

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Clinicians and researchers from the Department of Dermatology at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences will present poster at the American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting starting Feb. 16.

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UT Southwestern Medical Center is one of nine exclusive sites in the country enrolling multiple myeloma patients for a clinical trial of the CAR-T “living drug” therapy for cancer.

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There is no shortage of men’s razors and other shaving tools on the market, but do any of them offer the perfect shave? According to dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology, it’s less about which tools you use, and more about your shaving preparation and technique.

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Obese patients with metastatic melanoma who are treated with targeted or immune therapies live significantly longer than those with a normal body mass index (BMI), investigators report in a study published in Lancet Oncology of 1,918 patients in six independent clinical cohorts. This effect, referred to as the “Obesity Paradox”, principally manifested itself in men, said Jennifer McQuade, M.D., lead author and instructor of Melanoma Medical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

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In recognition of National Burn Awareness Week (February 4 – 10), Loyola Medicine and Anthony Baldea, MD, director of Loyola's Burn Center, are offering tips to prevent and care for burn injuries.

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When it comes to the physical scars surgery leaves behind, a new study shows patients and doctors often don’t assess their severity the same way. Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found patients and physicians disagreed in their scar evaluations 28 percent of the time, with patients more likely to focus on the depth of the scar while physicians were more likely to emphasize coloration and texture.

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A new study pinpoints a mechanism that controls how basal cell cancers respond to treatment and offers new ideas for controlling this disease when it gets tricky.

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In a study of 61 people treated for the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, Johns Hopkins researchers conclude that fatigue, pain, insomnia and depression do indeed persist over long periods of time for some people, despite largely normal physical exams and clinical laboratory testing.

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Skin damage from unprotected exposure to the sun can occur any time of year, even during the winter.

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Castleman disease, a rare disorder of the lymph nodes and related tissues, was identified and named more than a half-century ago but, until recently, no one had written a book exclusively about it. Frits van Rhee, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine and director of developmental and translational medicine at the Myeloma Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), has changed that.

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An experienced interdisciplinary team of psoriasis and computational researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine (CWRU SOM) and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center (UHCMC) has received a $6.5M, 5-year grant from the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). The grant supports a Center of Research Translation in Psoriasis (CORT) at CWRU and UHCMC.

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A recent Penn State College of Medicine physician’s study review suggests that shorter courses of radiation are preferable to longer ones for older patients receiving treatment for slow-growing skin cancers.

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Leaders from the community and health system celebrate with ribbon cutting and open house.

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UCLA team shows in the laboratory that an inhibitor can be developed to break down the herpes virus.

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A pair of targeted therapies given before and after surgery for melanoma produced at least a six-fold increase in time to progression compared to standard-of-care surgery for patients with stage 3 disease, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report in Lancet Oncology. Patients who had no sign of disease at surgery after combination treatment did not progress to metastasis.

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La Jolla Institute scientists demonstrate that LIGHT, a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) super family, directly controls the hyperproliferation of keratinocytes as well as the expression of periostin, a protein that contributes to the clinical features of atopic dermatitis as well as other inflammatory skin diseases such as scleroderma.

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A research team at the Duke Cancer Institute has found a new way to keep the immune system engaged, and is planning to test the approach in a phase 1 clinical trial.

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Board-certified dermatologist Dirk M. Elston, MD, FAAD, the current deputy editor of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology will step into his new role in July 2018, succeeding board-certified dermatologist Bruce H. Thiers, MD, FAAD, who has served as editor for the past 10 years.

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Researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have identified a new therapeutic target for the treatment of melanoma. For decades, research has associated female sex and a history of previous pregnancy with better outcomes after a melanoma diagnosis. Now, a research team from Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania says it may have determined the reason for the melanoma-protective effect.

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Desmoplastic melanoma is a rare subtype of melanoma that is commonly found on sun-exposed areas, such as the head and neck, and usually seen in older patients. Treatment is difficult because these tumors are often resistant to chemotherapy and lack actionable mutations commonly found in other types of melanoma that are targeted by specific drugs. However, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers report in the Jan. 10 issue of Nature that patients with desmoplastic melanoma are more responsive to immune-activating anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapies than previously assumed.

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In a UCLA-led study, more than two-thirds of people with a rare type of melanoma responded positively to treatment with anti-PD-1 immunotherapies.

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The American Academy of Dermatology has released new guidelines of care for the management of basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. These evidence-based guidelines cover best practices for the management of nonmelanoma skin cancer.

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Swimming, paddling, boating and fishing account for more than 90 million cases of gastrointestinal, respiratory, ear, eye and skin-related illnesses per year in the U.S. with an estimated annual cost of $2.9 billion, according to a new report by University of Illinois at Chicago researchers.This is the first time the cost associated with waterborne illnesses contracted during recreational activities in the U.

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Ostomy patients using a new type of skin barrier product—infused with ceramides that play an essential role in the normal barrier function of the skin—experience lower costs of care, according to a randomized trial published in the Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing, the official journal of the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses (WOCN®) Society. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

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The skin is the body’s largest organ, so it’s important to take good care of it. However, doing so doesn’t necessarily mean breaking the bank, say dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology. In fact, petroleum jelly, a common, inexpensive product found in most people’s medicine cabinets, can have multiple skin care uses for the entire family.

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A Northwestern University professor, working in conjunction with the global beauty company L’Oréal, has developed the smallest wearable device in the world. The wafer-thin, feather-light sensor can fit on a fingernail and precisely measures a person’s exposure to UV light from the sun.

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A common, inexpensive drug that is used to prevent heart attacks and lower blood pressure may also help melanoma patients live longer.

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An article in the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists’ AANA Journal, “Lyme Disease and Anesthesia Considerations,” discusses possible effects of anesthesia on Lyme disease patients undergoing surgery.

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Researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine have successfully developed a method to grow hairy skin from mouse pluripotent stem cells—a discovery that could lead to new approaches to model disease and new therapies for the treatment of skin disorders and cancers.

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When the temperature dips below freezing, it’s critical to protect your skin from cold-weather health risks. Frostbite occurs when the skin – and sometimes the tissue beneath the skin – freezes due to prolonged exposure to cold temperatures. Depending on how long and how frozen the tissue, frostbite can result in severe, sometimes permanent, damage. To stay warm and prevent frostbite, follow these tips from the American Academy of Dermatology.

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A 30-minute daily or alternate-day facial exercise program sustained over 20 weeks improved the facial appearance of middle-aged women, resulting in a younger appearance with fuller upper and lower cheeks, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.