Feature Channels: Dermatology

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A Northwestern Medicine study published today (Dec. 5) in JAMA Pediatrics found that seven common moisturizers would be cost effective in preventing eczema in high-risk newborns. By using the cheapest moisturizer in the study (petroleum jelly), the cost benefit for prophylactic moisturization was only $353 per quality-adjusted life year – a generic measure of disease burden that assesses the monetary value of medical interventions in one’s life.

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In recent years, environmental groups have been calling out cosmetic preservatives as suspected endocrine disruptors, cancer-causing agents and skin irritants. The campaigns have resulted in new restrictions on certain preservatives. But, as reported in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, the shrinking list of approved preservatives is having unintended consequences.

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UAB taps Boni E. Elewski, M.D., to lead the Department of Dermatology.

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A common cause of hair loss and breakage known as acquired trichorrhexis nodosa, or TN --often more prevalent in African-Americans -- can actually be remedied through appropriate use of cleansing products, hair care and styling practices, say researchers at Johns Hopkins.

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Mental disorders and physical diseases frequently go hand in hand. For the first time, psychologists at the University of Basel and Ruhr University Bochum have identified temporal patterns in young people: arthritis and diseases of the digestive system are more common after depression, while anxiety disorders tend to be followed by skin diseases.

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A combination of two topical drugs that have been in use for years triggers a robust immune response against precancerous skin lesions, according to a new study. The research, from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Harvard Medical School, shows that the therapy activates the immune system’s T cells, which then attack the abnormal skin cells.

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Sarah E. Millar, PhD, the Albert M. Kligman Endowed Professor and vice chair for basic science research in the department of Dermatology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has received the 2016 FOCUS Award for the Advancement of Women in Medicine. The award, recently presented at the annual FOCUS fall conference, recognizes “a faculty member at Penn Medicine, male or female, whose outstanding efforts and achievements have promoted the career success, leadership, and overall quality of life for Penn women in academic medicine.”

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Fungal skin infections may be commonly misdiagnosed, according to a survey published by a George Washington University dermatologist in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

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New Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health-led research suggests that some workers at industrial hog production facilities are not only carrying livestock-associated, antibiotic-resistant bacteria in their noses, but may also be developing skin infections from these bacteria.

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Therapies designed to help the body's immune system attack cancer cells are proving to be effective for some patients with advanced cases of the disease.

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When female employees of a mystery shopping firm called posing as 17-year-olds interested in tanning, 81 percent of indoor tanning facilities complied with the Texas ban on indoor tanning for those under the age of 18 in a study conducted by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

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Baylor Scott & White Research Institute will be home to one of four new Centers of Research Translation, or CORTs. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases will fund $8.5 million over five years toward the center’s research, which aims to better understand the development of severe lupus in children and could ultimately lead to new personalized treatments.

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When it comes to skin care, men have traditionally kept it simple. However, experts say more men are now pursuing healthier, younger-looking skin. Since November is National Healthy Skin Month, dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology say now is a great time for men to evaluate their skin care routine and learn more about how to take care of their body’s largest organ.

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Scientists at Duke Health and Zhejiang Chinese Medical University have developed a strategy to stop the uncontrollable itch caused by urushiol, the oily sap common to poison ivy, poison sumac, poison oak and even mango trees. The team found that by blocking an immune system protein in the skin with an antibody, they could halt the processes that tell the brain the skin is itchy.

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A research team from Shizuoka University in Japan has explored the permeability of skin and will present their work during the AVS 63rd International Symposium and Exhibition being held November 6-11, 2016, in Nashville, Tennessee. As a means to interact with skin, the team used plasma, a state of matter where electrons have dissociated from their corresponding ions and exhibit more collective behavior. Using plasma, which conducts electricity, they successfully decreased its barrier function for transdermal drug delivery.

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Kelly Davis is one of the first of four Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) patients who have had cutting-edge facial reanimation surgery performed by Reuben Bueno Jr., M.D., associate professor and interim chair of the Department of Plastic Surgery.

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The team evaluated 15 randomized controlled trials published between 2011 and 2015, assessing the benefits and harms of targeted or immune checkpoint inhibitors in 6,662 patients with cancer that had spread to the lymph nodes and surgery was not an option, or distant metastatic melanoma.

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Each individual’s skin care routine should be based on her age and her skin’s specific needs. To kick off National Healthy Skin Month, three board-certified dermatologists discuss the top skin care concerns of women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, and provide skin care tips for each age group.

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To get a head start on healing burn wounds, biomedical engineers at Michigan Technological University turn to the body's natural network. They combine engineered stem cell sheets with split thickness skin grafts to do so.

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A UNC School of Medicine dermatologist recently conducted a study to determine if the way a prescription was written – either traditionally or electronically – played a role in whether a patient filled and picked up the medication.

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Researchers at Wichita State University have been awarded with a $1.125 million NASA grant to continue development of a smart skin biomedical sensor.

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Are you embarrassed by how much you sweat? It’s normal to sweat when you get nervous or exert yourself. However, if you sweat easily or to the point where sweat is visible on your clothing when you aren’t exerting yourself, you may have a condition called “hyperhidrosis,” or excessive sweating. Without treatment, say experts, hyperhidrosis can interfere with everyday activities and may even cause other skin conditions to develop.

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A new study probes the evolutionary history of eczema, examining a genetic variant strongly associated with the most common form of eczema, atopic dermatitis.

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Atopic dermatitis, or eczema, is a common skin disorder that usually starts by 5 years of age, but virtually all of the studies that have defined the immune changes underlying eczema and are directing new treatment options have been done in adult skin. A study just published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology characterizes immune changes for the first time in the skin of young children with eczema.

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The association between provider case volume and outcomes has long been suggested in cancer care. A Yale Cancer Center team has completed a review of outcomes for patients with locally advanced squamous cell head and neck cancers treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and found a distinct association between higher-volume treatment centers and improved overall survival.

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Mount Sinai researchers identify association between pediatric eczema and large abnormalities in non-lesional skin and multi T lymphocyte axes activation

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Melanoma tumors use genetic mutations in a prominent immune response pathway to resist the immunotherapy ipilimumab, researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report in the journal Cell.

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New techniques could help surgeons optimize tissue expansion procedures to maximize skin growth rates

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Seventy-five percent of patients with an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss had significant hair regrowth after treatment with ruxolitinib, according to a study from Columbia University Medical Center.

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Research will illuminate unknown mechanisms of aggressive form of skin cancer

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Nonwhite transplant recipients, who are at lower risk for developing skin cancer than their white counterparts, should still receive routine, total-body skin examinations, according to new patient data.

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For many families, bath time is a struggle. For this reason, many parents will be glad to know that a daily bath may not be necessary for their kids, according to dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology.

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A recent review on head lice treatments available in the United States described a marked decline in the effectiveness of permethrin/synergized pyrethrins (collectively pyrethroids), likely due to resistance arising from widespread and indiscriminate use over 30 years.

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Psoriasis is a much-misunderstood disease, often kept under wraps by sufferers who want to hide their skin lesions. This week, Dr. Sara Ferguson, a dermatologist at Penn State Medical Group in State College, separates fact from myth about psoriasis and the various treatment options.

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A new paper co-authored by a UC Santa Barbara researcher reveals that Latinos age at a slower rate than other ethnic groups. The findings, published in the current issue of Genome Biology, may one day help scientists understand how to slow the aging process for everyone.

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The National Institutes of Health has awarded Dr. Luis Martinez of New York Institute of Technology a $431,700 three-year grant to investigate, in mice, methamphetamine's effects on the underlying biological mechanisms that cause inflammation and impair wound healing. Martinez hopes his findings can form the foundation for new studies on human subjects that might lead to targeted prevention and wound management.

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In a new study published today in the journal Cogent Psychology, researchers from the University of Surrey examined the way sun safe messages are conveyed to young women, and found that visual communication using technology to age participant's faces to emphasis sun damage and premature ageing is most effective.

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The melanoma rate among white women living in Los Angeles is declining for the first time in 37 years, according to a new cancer report card administered by USC. This Q&A focuses on melanoma: why it’s rising, who is at risk and what preventive measures can be taken.

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One of the many insults of adolescence is pimple-speckled skin. Sebum, an oily skin secretion, plays a major role in causing zits. But “the knowledge of what exactly in sebum is responsible for the occurrence of acne is rather limited,” says Emanuela Camera at the San Gallicano Dermatologic Institute in Italy.

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For new mothers concerned about hair loss, dermatologists say they needn’t worry. Many women experience noticeable hair loss after having a baby, and experts say it is normal, temporary and caused by changes in hormones.

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Most people start racking up scars from an early age with scraped knees and elbows. While many of these fade over time, more severe types such as keloids and scars from burns are largely untreatable. These types of scars are associated with permanent functional loss and, in severe cases, carry the stigma of disfigurement. Now scientists are developing new compounds that could stop scars from forming in the first place.

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The botulinum toxins are among the deadliest substances on Earth, and two specific toxins — including the popular drug Botox — have multiple uses for treating many neuromuscular conditions, including frown lines, disabling muscle spasms and migraine headaches.

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Health and wellness tips from UT Southwestern Medical Center experts for August 2016

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Callen will be part of the committee reviewing accreditation applications for continuing medical education from institutions throughout the United States

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Because Caucasians have a higher skin cancer risk than the general population, people with skin of color may believe that they don’t need to be concerned about this disease — but new research reveals this to be a dangerous misconception.

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When a patient is diagnosed with eczema, the diagnosis of another medical condition may not be far behind.

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Scarring can have a profound impact on patients. Fortunately, dermatologists have developed an improved understanding of the biology of scarring, allowing them to provide more effective treatment that can improve the appearance of scars.

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People with psoriasis have an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Treating psoriasis may help improve cardiovascular symptoms by reducing skin inflammation, which in turn leads to less inflammation elsewhere in the body.