February 6, 2008, 9:03 PM CT
Two Different Peels Both Effective in Acne
Chemical peels using either alpha-hydroxy acid or beta-hydroxy acid are both highly effective in treating mild to moderately severe facial acne, scientists at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine have found - the first study to compare the two different types of acid peels as therapies for the skin disorder.
Peels using beta-hydroxy acid (or BHA) had slightly fewer side effects and results that lasted a bit longer than did peels using alpha-hydroxy acid (or AHA), the study found. But overall, both types of therapys were similarly effective in reducing lesions caused by acne vulgaris, the medical term for common facial acne, which affects some 85 percent of all people 12 to 24 years old.
"This is good news for the millions of Americans who suffer from mild to moderately severe facial acne," said Dee Anna Glaser, M.D., vice chair and professor of dermatology at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine. "This provides more options for patients and doctors to chose from when it comes to tailoring a therapy program for each individual".
The research is reported in the current edition of Dermatologic Surgery.
AHA (which is also called glycolic acid) and BHA (also called salicylic acid) are frequently used by physicians to induce light skin peels, which help treat fine lines and wrinkles, acne and uneven texture and coloration. The peel removes a very thin layer of skin, which in turn promotes the growth of new, smoother skin.........
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January 21, 2008, 8:09 PM CT
Melanomas may appear different than other moles
A preliminary study suggests that melanomas have a different appearance than other irregular skin moles (i.e., are ugly ducklings), as per a report in the recent issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Rates of cancerous melanoma continue to increase, and early identification allows surgeons to treat the disease by removing the tumor, as per background information in the article. The disease is more common in individuals with a number of moles or other skin marks, particularly if the marks are atypical in color, shape or size. The challenge for clinicians who diagnose and treat pigmented skin lesions is to distinguish between cancerous melanoma and non-malignant simulants, the authors write.
Alon Scope, M.D., of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, and his colleagues obtained images of the backs of 12 patients from a database of standardized patient images. All of the patients had at least eight atypical moles, and five patients had one lesion that had been confirmed as a melanoma. Thirty-four study participantsincluding eight pigmented lesion experts, 13 general dermatologists, five dermatology nurses and eight non-clinical medical staffwere asked to evaluate the images and identify lesions that looked different from all other atypical moles.........
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January 8, 2008, 5:15 AM CT
Multiple skin cancer risk behaviors are common
Whether youre basking on the beach during vacation, coasting down glittering white snow on a weekend ski trip, or simply walking the dog or running errands, sunlights ultraviolet rays can damage your skin year-round. Yet a new study by behavioral scientists at Fox Chase Cancer Center shows that most American adults engage in multiple behaviors that boost their risk of skin cancer by increasing their exposure to UV rays.
These behaviors include infrequent use of sun-protective clothing; staying outside in the sun rather than seeking shade; infrequent use of sunscreen with a sun-protection factor (SPF) of 15 or more; indoor tanning with a sunlamp or tanning bed within the past year; and getting sunburned within the past year.
Collectively, skin cancer of all types is the most common cancer in the United States and the incidence has increased over the past three decades. During 2007, an estimated 1.1 million Americans received a diagnosis of basal- or squamous-cell skin cancer or the more invasive, potentially lethal melanoma, as per the American Cancer Society.
Heredity plays an important role in skin cancer. For example, a typical portrait of someone at risk of skin cancer would show a natural blonde or redhead with very fair skin that freckles and burns more easily than it tans. Melanoma, in particular, is known to run in certain families.........
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December 2, 2007, 8:47 PM CT
Broccoli against devastating genetic skin disorder
The compound sulforaphane whose natural precursors are found at high levels in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables has been hailed for its chemopreventive powers against cancer. Now sulforaphane has demonstrated new skills in treating a genetic skin blistering disorder called epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS), Pierre Coulombe and his colleagues at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore report at the American Society for Cell Biology 47th Annual Meeting.
EBS is a rare but devastating inherited condition in which fluid-filled lesions called bullae appear at sites of frictional trauma to the skin. Unfortunately, therapy options for EBS are limited and palliative in nature. Much work remains to be done before sulforaphane can be tested clinically with EBS patients, but Coulombe notes that extracts from broccoli sprouts rich in sulforaphane have already been shown to be safe for use in human skin.
In EBS patients, the bottom layer of the epidermis, which is made of cells called keratinocytes, is uncommonly fragile and ruptures readily. Molecularly, most cases of EBS result from mutations in genes that produce the proteins keratin 5 (K5) and keratin 14 (K14). These proteins co-polymerize to form the intermediate filament cytoskeleton in basal keratinocytes. Since the discovery in 1991 that EBS is a keratin-based disease, more than 40 additional disorders affecting a broad range of tissues have been traced to defects in genes that encode intermediate filament proteins.........
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November 12, 2007, 9:47 PM CT
Mechanism For Acne Drug's Link To Depression
As per a research findings reported in the journal Experimental Biology and Medicine, researchers reveal a potential mechanism that might link the drug Roaccutane (Accutane in the US) to reported cases of depression in some patients taking the medication.
The scientists had previously reported that the drug caused depressive behaviour in mice but, until now, the mechanism by which this might happen was unknown.
Using cells cultured in a laboratory, researchers from the University of Bath (UK) and University of Texas at Austin (USA) were able to monitor the effect of the drug on the chemistry of the cells that produce serotonin.
They observed that the cells significantly increased production of proteins and cell metabolites that are known to reduce the availability of serotonin.
This, says scientists, could disrupt the process by which serotonin relays signals between neurons in the brain and may be the cause of depression-related behaviour.
"Serotonin is an important chemical that relays signals from nerve cells to other cells in the body," said Dr Sarah Bailey from the Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology at the University of Bath.
"In the brain it is thought to play an important role in the regulation of a range of behaviours, such as aggression, anger and sleep.........
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October 29, 2007, 10:16 PM CT
Smoking increases risk of psoriasis
Another disease can be added to the list of smoking-related disorders -- psoriasis. Scientists have observed that smoking increases the risk of developing psoriasis, heavier smoking increases the risk further, and the risk decreases only slowly after quitting. Investigators from the Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, the Harvard School of Public Health, all in Boston, USA, and Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada, have published the results in the November 2007 issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
This study is the largest prospective assessment of multiple markers of smoking status, duration, and intensity in relation to the risk of psoriasis. Using data from the Nurses Health Study II (NHS II), an ongoing longitudinal study of 116,608 female registered nurses from 15 states between the ages of 25 and 42 years at baseline who completed and returned an initial questionnaire in 1989, the scientists documented 887 incident cases of psoriasis during the 14 years of follow-up. Lifetime smoking exposure was measured in pack-years, equal to smoking 20 cigarettes per day for one year.
Compared with women who never smoked, the risk of psoriasis was 37% higher among past smokers and 78% higher among current smokers. Pack-years were linked to a graded increase in the risk for psoriasis. Compared with never smokers; the risk was 20% higher for 1-10 pack-years, 60% higher for 11-20 pack-years, and more than two times higher for +21 pack-years. The significant trends persisted with smoking duration in both current and past smokers. Furthermore, exposure to passive smoke during pregnancy or childhood was linked to an increased risk of psoriasis. The risk of psoriasis among former smokers decreases nearly to that of never smokers 20 years after cessation.........
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October 17, 2007, 9:06 PM CT
Using honey to heal wounds
Surgeons are being advised to consider the supermarket as well as the drugs cupboard when it comes to effective wound healing, as per a research review reported in the recent issue of IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice.
And patients whove undergone surgery should ask their doctors whether they should apply honey to their wounds to speed up healing and reduce infection.
Honey is one of the oldest foods in existence and was an ancient remedy for wound healing explains lead author Dr Fasal Rauf Khan from North West Wales NHS Trust in Bangor. It was found in the tomb of King Tutankhamun and was still edible as it never spoils.
Honey is enjoying a revival as more reports of its effectiveness are published, he adds.
Scientists started to document the wound healing properties of honey in the early 20th century, but the introduction of antibiotics in 1940 temporarily halted its use.
Now concerns about antibiotic resistance, and a renewed interest in natural remedies, has prompted a resurgence in the antimicrobial and wound healing properties of honey.
Honey has many properties that make it effective against bacterial growth, including its high sugar content, low moisture content, gluconic acid which creates an acidic environment and hydrogen peroxide. It has also been shown to reduce inflammation and swelling.........
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September 18, 2007, 10:19 PM CT
Results of phase 1 metastatic melanoma study
Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced preliminary results of its Phase 1 clinical trial of Provecta for the therapy of metastatic melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer. Provecta demonstrated minimal side effects, significant efficacy and bystander effect on melanoma tumors in stage III patients. The study reviewed safety and efficacy of Provecta in a total of 20 subjects at two sites in Australia.
In the study, Provecta was injected once into one to twenty tumors in each subject. In addition to these treated tumors, an additional one to three tumors were left untreated in each subject to allow assessment of a potential "bystander effect" resulting from immune system response to tumor therapy. A total of 114 tumors were injected and 39 bystander tumors were observed in the study. Subjects were followed for 4 to 27 weeks. Study therapys were well tolerated and elicited minimal side effects, the most common being mild to moderate pain at the injection site.
Results for all evaluable tumors were tabulated using the RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors) approach, which objectively grades response for each subject based on change in the sum of the longest diameter for each of the subject's tumors vs. baseline. Subject outcome was scored in terms of complete response (CR -- complete tumor disappearance or negative histopathology), partial response (PR -- 30% or more tumor shrinkage), stable disease (SD -- 29% shrinkage to 20% growth), and progressive disease (PD -- greater than 20% growth).........
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August 16, 2007, 9:40 PM CT
Cannabis May Alleviate Allergic Skin Disease
Administering a substance found in the cannabis plant can help the bodys natural protective system alleviate an allergic skin disease (allergic contact dermatitis), an international group of scientists from Gera number of, Israel, Italy, Switzerland and the U.S. has found.
Allergic contact dermatitis is caused by reaction to something that directly contacts the skin. A number of different substances (allergens) can cause allergic contact dermatitis. Commonly these substances cause no trouble for most people, but if the skin is sensitive or allergic to the substance, any exposure will produce a rash, which may become very severe. Allergic contact dermatitis affects about 5 percent of men and 11percent of women in industrialized countries and is one of the leading causes for occupational diseases.
An article describing the work of the international research group, led by Dr Andreas Zimmer from the University of Bonn, was published recently in the journal Science. The article deals with alleviating allergic skin disease through what is called the endocannabinoid system. Among the members of the group is Prof. Raphael Mechoulam of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem School of Pharmacy.
In earlier work, Prof.Mechoulams research group at the Hebrew University isolated two naturally occurring cannabinoid (cannabis-like) components one from the brain, named anandamide (from the word ananda, meaning supreme joy in Sanskrit), and another from the intestines named 2-AG. These two cannabinoids, plus their receptors and various enzymes that are involved in the cannnabinoids syntheses and degradations, comprise the endocannabinoid system. These materials have similar effects to those of the active components in hashish and marijuana, produced from the cannabis plant.........
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August 6, 2007, 5:10 PM CT
Green tea as treatment for inflammatory skin diseases
Green tea could hold promise as a new therapy for skin disorders such as psoriasis and dandruff, Medical College of Georgia scientists say.
Scientists studied an animal model for inflammatory skin diseases, which are often characterized by patches of dry, red, flaky skin caused by the inflammation and overproduction of skin cells. Those treated with green tea showed slower growth of skin cells and the presence of a gene that regulates the cells' life cycles.
"Psoriasis, an autoimmune disease, causes the skin to become thicker because the growth of skin cells is out of control," says Dr. Stephen Hsu, an oral biologist in the MCG School of Dentistry and lead investigator on the study reported in the Aug. 18 edition of Experimental Dermatology. "In psoriasis, immune cells, which commonly protect against infection, instead trigger the release of cytokines, which causes inflammation and the overproduction of skin cells".
Other autoimmune diseases with similar side effects include lupus, which can lead to skin lesions, and dandruff.
Green tea, already shown to suppress inflammation, helps by regulating the expression of Caspase-14, a protein in genes that regulates the life cycle of a skin cell.
"That marker guides cells by telling them when to differentiate, die off and form a skin barrier," Dr. Hsu says. "In people with psoriasis, that process is interrupted and the skin cells don't die before more are created and the resulting lesions form." .........
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July 3, 2007, 9:42 PM CT
The elderberry way to perfect skin
Forget expensive moisturisers and cosmetic surgery, a compound found in the humble elderberry could give a natural boost to skin.
In the first study of its kind, a team of scientists led by Prof Aedin Cassidy at the University of East Anglia and Dr Paul Kroon at the Institute of Food Research, will explore whether the skins condition is improved by a compound which gives berries their vibrant colour (called anthocyanin).
In a 12-week trial starting in September, post-menopausal women will consume either extracts from elderberries or placebo capsules, and will have their skins structure and appearance measured with state-of-the-art equipment used by experts in skin science. At the same time, scientists will also test whether the elderberry extract can reduce risk factors for heart disease.
We already know that a healthy diet can help protect against heart disease and skin damage, and that a mixture of similar food components have been shown to improve the skins structure. There is also evidence that the active components have anti-inflammatory properties, which may be important in helping people stay healthy, said UEAs Dr Peter Curtis who is leading the project.
If the results of our study are positive, it may lead to innovations in skin health products and may also give us vital information about diets which promote healthier hearts.........
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June 29, 2007, 5:13 AM CT
Natural signal holds promise for psoriasis
The body may hold a secret to normalizing skin cell growth that is over zealous in psoriasis and non-melanoma skin cancers and too slow in aging and sun-damaged skin, scientists say.
Phosphatidylglycerol, a natural body lipid or fat, appears to signal cells to normalize growth and maturation or differentiation. "When we apply it to skin cells, we see the normalization ability," says Dr. Wendy B. Bollag, cell physiologist at the Medical College of Georgia.
Her research, published online in The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, helps piece together the signaling pathway that prompts skin cells to stop multiplying and start differentiating.
Perhaps most importantly it shows that bypassing that pathway - one scientists suspect becomes dysfunctional in diseases like psoriasis - and giving the signal itself restores normal differentiation of skin cells or keratinocytes.
The findings prompted Dr. Bollag and John Edwards, CEO of Apeliotus Technologies of Atlanta, to seek National Institutes of Health funding for yearlong study in animal models of mild psoriasis to see if it works, with human trials as the goal. "Proof of principle is the first phase. If in vivo data looks promising, we'll put together a study we can take into the clinic," says Dr. Bollag. She and Apeliotus received an NIH Small Business Technology Transfer grant, which supports small businesses collaborating with U.S. research institutions to develop technologies and methodologies with commercial potential.........
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June 10, 2007, 8:49 PM CT
Sun exposure early in life and skin cancer
Skin cancers often contain different gene mutations, but just how these mutations contribute to the cause of melanomas has been a mystery.
A new clue comes from researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Schools of Medicine and Public Health. Their research indicates that early life sun exposure, from birth to 20 years old, may specifically increase the risk of melanomas with BRAF gene mutations. A different mutation, on the NRAS gene, was found in patients who had sun exposure during the later part of life (between ages 50 to 60 years old). The results indicate that different subtypes of melanoma are linked to different risk factors.
"The findings suggest that melanoma subtypes have different causes. This is important for learning more about how to prevent and treat skin cancer," said Dr. Nancy Thomas, associate professor of dermatology in the UNC School of Medicine, a member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and lead author of the study. This finding is expected to strengthen current recommendations to protect children from sun exposure in order to prevent melanoma, Thomas said.
The study, reported in the May 2007 edition of the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention, presents some of the first data to link early life sunlight exposure to a specific mutation in melanomas.........
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June 5, 2007, 0:24 AM CT
Diagnosing skin cancers with light, not scalpels
In an early step toward nonsurgical screening for cancerous skin cancers, Duke University chemists have demonstrated a laser-based system that can capture three-dimensional images of the chemical and structural changes under way beneath the surface of human skin.
"The standard way physicians do a diagnosis now is to cut out a mole and look at a slice of it with a microscope," said Warren Warren, the James B. Duke Professor of chemistry, radiology and biomedical engineering, and director of Duke's new Center for Molecular and Biomedical Imaging. "What we're trying to do is find cancer signals they can get to without having to cut out the mole.
"This is the first approach that can target molecules like hemoglobin and melanin and get microscopic resolution images the equivalent of what a doctor would see if he or she were able to slice down to that particular point," Warren said.
The distributions of hemoglobin, a component of red blood cells, and melanin, a skin pigment, serve as early warning signs for skin cancer growth. But because skin scatters light strongly, simple microscopes cannot be used to locate those molecules except right at the surface. Eventhough laser methods have been developed to probe deeper down for some other molecules that can be made to glow, both melanin and hemoglobin remain dark and inaccessible using those methods.........
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May 21, 2007, 12:28 AM CT
Caspase-14 protects skin against UVB and dehydration
Ultraviolet rays can be harmful to our skin and pave the way to the onset of skin cancers. VIB researchers connected to Ghent University have demonstrated that the caspase-14 protein - whose function has been unknown up to now - not only plays a role in maintaining the balance of moisture in the skin but also offers protection against UVB rays. Future strategies that increase the production of caspase-14 will open new possibilities for fortifying the skin as a barrier against all kinds of stress.
Sunbathing and the pernicious consequences for our skinSunlight is needed for the development of our bodies and minds. Still, we should not expose ourselves to it too often. The UV index provides an indication of the true intensity of the suns rays and the risks that go along with them.
UV rays cause functional alterations in the most important components of our skin: the keratinocytes. In addition to causing normal sunburn and suppressing our immune responses, UVB damages the DNA in our cells, which can lead to cancer. In the last 15 years, the number of new cases of melanoma (the most dangerous skin cancer in Belgium) has practically doubled to 1500 cases per year.
Caspase-14Caspases are proteins that are involved in inflammation reactions and in programmed cell death or apoptosis. Apoptosis is important in all stages of life. During embryonal development, for example, apoptosis ensures that undesirable or outmoded tissues disappear. In the mid-1990s, Peter Vandenabeele and his colleagues were able to isolate 9 caspase family members in mice. The properties and substrates of a number of caspases are already known. However, caspase-14 is a maverick in that it is found very specifically in the skin and is activated during the last stage of skin cell maturation. Due to the action of caspase-14, the outer epidermis of our skin contains dead cells that are released as flakes of skin.........
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May 7, 2007, 11:01 PM CT
Nation's Most And Least Sun-smart Cities
Most Americans are familiar with the popular city rankings of the fattest cities, the fittest cities, the most livable cities and the most expensive cities. Now, in the first-of-its-kind survey, the American Academy of Dermatology (Academy) has identified the cities that take sun protection seriously and those that fail to make the grade despite repeated health warnings.
The "RAYS: Your Grade" survey polled adults in 32 U.S. metropolitan regions spanning 29 states on their knowledge, attitudes and behaviors toward tanning and sun protection. Cities were then ranked based on the percentage of people who scored As and Bs.
"Based on our initial review of what people are currently doing, know and believe about sun protection, 35 percent of the national public score above average, with grades of A or B," said dermatologist Diane R. Baker, MD, FAAD, president of the Academy. "From here, our goal is to move the needle so that we have 45 percent or even 50 percent starting to score in the A or B range".
Of the 32 cities and states ranked on their percentage of A and B grades, Washington, DC, was ranked No. 1, with 47 percent of its residents receiving As and Bs, followed closely by New York City which earned the No. 2 ranking. Dr. Baker also found that Miami, Tampa and Los Angeles each noted for year-round sunny weather rounded out the top five rankings.........
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May 7, 2007, 11:00 PM CT
immune dysfunction in melanoma patients
Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have begun to shed light on why the human immune system isn't able to stop such cancers as melanoma, suggesting answers that could pave the way for better therapy of this often-fatal illness.
In a small study, the researchers observed that the immune cells in a majority of people with this deadly skin cancer fail to respond properly to a molecule called interferon, which normally activates the immune system. Without the ability to respond to interferon, the cells are less able to fend off the cancer, as per the study that would be reported in the recent issue of Public Library of Science-Medicine.
These results help explain a decade of research showing that people with cancer often have dysfunctional immune systems. Until now, scientists could tell that the immune system wasn't working properly but didn't know which genes or pathways were involved in that failure. Finding the disruption in the cancer cells' interferon response could help in the development of vaccines to treat cancers.
"We think this is a dominant way that immune dysfunction occurs in people with cancer," said senior author Peter Lee, MD, associate professor of medicine.
Lee was interested in melanoma rather than other forms of cancer in part because of the deadly nature of the disease, which will kill about one in six of the 47,700 people it is expected to strike this year. Unless melanoma is caught early and removed, there is no effective therapy, eventhough research groups have been testing vaccine therapies for the disease. However, Lee worried that unless scientists better understood immune dysfunctions in those people, the vaccines would have a low probability of success. "If you don't address the underlying immune defects, then vaccines won't do any good," Lee said.........
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April 1, 2007, 9:10 PM CT
Gender linked to skin cancer
Inherent gender differences instead of more sun exposure may be one reason why men are three times more likely than women to develop certain kinds of skin cancer, say scientists at Ohio State University Medical Center.
Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common form of skin cancer, accounting for nearly 200,000 new cases in the United States each year. While occurring more often than melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma is not nearly as worrisome. Still, it can be lethal in some patients, particularly those with suppressed immune systems, including transplant recipients or people who are HIV-positive.
A number of studies have shown that the risk of squamous cell carcinoma increases with greater exposure to the sun. For years, researchers assumed that lifestyle had a lot to do with the disparity in the occurence rate of SCC believing that men spend more time outside and are less likely to use sun protection than women.
While that may be true, researchers at Ohio State have shown that there may be another, even more critical factor involved gender-linked differences in the amount of naturally occurring antioxidants in the skin.
The study appears in the April 1 issue of Cancer Research.
Dr. Tatiana Oberyszyn, an assistant professor of pathology and of molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics at Ohio State University Medical Center, has been studying non-melanoma skin cancers for years. She had a hunch there might be gender-related variables that accounted for the difference between male and female rates of developing these malignancies, and designed an experiment to find out what they might be.........
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March 15, 2007, 8:56 PM CT
Cellular 'SOS' signal in response to UV skin damage
New research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine has identified two proteins that may help protect against skin cancer.
The study, which appears in the advance online edition of the journal Molecular and Cellular Biology, indicates that two proteins, named Timeless and Tipin, form a complex that regulates the rate at which DNA is replicated after exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
Ultraviolet radiation in sunlight damages the DNA in skin cells. If left unrepaired by the cell, this damage can turn into mutations that lead to cancer. Before cells divide, they must replicate, or copy, their DNA to form new daughter cells. If damage in the DNA is discovered even after the cell has given a "go-ahead" to replicate its DNA, the Timeless/Tipin complex sends a signal throughout the nucleus of the cell to slow the rate of replication. This slowdown may give the cell additional time to repair its DNA and potentially save itself from becoming malignant or from dying in response to ultraviolet radiation.
"What we discovered here was that the cell can send out an additional SOS and slow DNA replication even after it has begun," said Dr. William Kaufmann, a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and a member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and Center for Environmental Health and Susceptibility.........
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January 16, 2007, 4:51 AM CT
One-time Melanoma Screening Of Older Adults Is Cost-effective
One-time melanoma screening of adults age 50 or older appears to be as cost-effective as other nationally recommended cancer screening programs, as per an article in the recent issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Melanoma is the only cancer for which incidence and death rates continue to increase in the United States, while screening continues to be underused, as per background information in the article. Treating melanoma costs more than $740 million each year in the United States. Older patients and those who have immediate relatives with melanoma are at higher risk. Knowledge regarding risk factors and the availability of therapy has spurred greater interest in screening; however, the lack of a large randomized trial proving screening efficacy has been cited as an obstacle preventing its widespread implementation.
Elena Losina, Ph.D., Boston University School of Public Health, and his colleagues constructed a mathematical model to simulate the melanoma events that occur in a population, including disease occurrence, progression, detection with and without a screening program, therapy and death. The authors projected the additional costs of screening and the additional survival attributable to earlier detection. They then assessed the cost in dollars for every extra year of life gained (the cost-effectiveness) from melanoma screening by a dermatologist.........
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December 7, 2006, 9:57 PM CT
New Approach To Melanoma Treatment
While investigating a fungus known to cause an infection in people with AIDS, two grantees of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), unexpectedly discovered a potential strategy for treating metastatic melanoma, one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer. The therapy approach, which involves combining an antibody with radiation, has since been further developed and is expected to enter early-stage human clinical studies in 2007.
"This is an excellent example of how scientific research in one discipline may have payoffs in a completely unpredictable way," says NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. "This important AIDS-related research has led to the development of a promising therapeutic strategy for a terrible cancer that affects thousands of people each year."
Arturo Casadevall, M.D., Ph.D., of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University, in New York City, and his research team began studying the biology of the skin pigment melanin to better understand why its synthesis plays a role in the process whereby certain yeast-like fungi, specifically Cryptococcus neoformans, cause disease in some people. C. neoformans can cause cryptococcosis, a potentially fatal fungal infection that can lead to inflammation of the brain and death in people with AIDS and other immunocompromised individuals.........
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December 1, 2006, 4:54 AM CT
Glucocorticoid, Skin Abnormalities And Stress
Inhibiting glucocorticoid, a type of steroid, can prevent skin abnormalities induced by psychological stress, as per a new study from the recent issue of the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. The new study also shows how psychological stress induces skin abnormalities that could initiate or worsen skin disorders such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.
The study, "Glucocorticoid blockade reverses psychological stress-induced abnormalities in epidermal structure and function," was carried out by Eung-Ho Choi, Marianne Demerjian, Debra Crumrine, Barbara E. Brown, Theodora Mauro, Peter M. Elias and Kenneth R. Feingold of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco and the University of California at San Francisco. Choi is also linked to Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea. The American Physiological Society published the study.
Prior research has shown that psychological stress increases glucocorticoid production. In addition, it is well recognized that psychological stress adversely affects a number of skin disorders, including psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.
"In this study, we showed that the increase in glucocorticoids induced by psychological stress induces abnormalities in skin structure and function, which could exacerbate skin diseases," Feingold explained. This provides a link for understanding how psychological stress can adversely affect skin disorders. Blocking the production or action of glucocorticoids prevented the skin abnormalities induced by psychological stress.........
Posted by: JoAnn Permalink Source
October 17, 2006, 4:53 AM CT
Listening To The Sound Of Skin Cancer
Scientists at the University of Missouri-Columbia can now detect the spread of skin cancer cells through the blood by literally listening to their sound. The unprecedented, minimally invasive technique causes melanoma cells to emit noise, and could let oncologists spot early signs of metastases -- as few as 10 cancer cells in a blood sample -- before they even settle in other organs. The results of the successful experimental tests appear in the Oct. 15 issue of the journal Optics Letters, published by the Optical Society of America.
The team's method, called photoacoustic detection, combines laser techniques from optics and ultrasound techniques from acoustics, using a laser to make cells vibrate and then picking up the characteristic sound of melanoma cells. In a clinical test, doctors would take a patient's blood sample and separate the red blood cells and the plasma. In a healthy person, the remaining cells would be white blood cells, but in a melanoma patient the sample may contain cancer cells. To find out, doctors would put the sample in saline solution and expose it to rapid-fire sequences of brief but intense blue-laser pulses, each lasting just five billionths of a second.
In lab tests, the Missouri-Columbia team was able to detect melanoma cells obtained from actual patients, showing that the method can spot as few as 10 cells in saline solution. The dark, microscopic granules of melanin contained in the cancer cells absorb the energy bursts from the blue-laser light, going through rapid cycles of expanding as they heat up and shrinking as they cool down. These sudden changes generate loud cracks -- relative to the granules' size -- which propagate in the solution like tiny tsunamis.........
Posted by: George Permalink Source
October 8, 2006, 6:26 PM CT
Maggot Therapy Without The Maggots
Researchers in the United Kingdom have developed a new wound dressing that could bring the benefits of maggot treatment to patients without putting live Greenbottle fly (blowfly) larvae into non-healing wounds. The joint research project of Stephen Britland from Bradford University and David Pritchard of Nottingham University included colleagues from the Bradford-based biotechnology company AGT Sciences Ltd. It describes development and preliminary testing in laboratory cell cultures of the new hydrogel dressing in a report scheduled for publication in the Oct. 6 issue of the ACS bimonthly journal Biotechnology Progress.
The scientists note resurgence in medical use of larval biotherapy -- intentionally introducing blowfly maggots into non-healing wounds to clean away dead tissue. Medical use of the technique led to observations suggesting that maggots' excretions and secretions (ESs) also may encourage regeneration of tissue and wound healing. Realizing that the ESs would have to be delivered in a controlled fashion, Britland's group developed the hydrogel dressing, which slowly releases maggot ESs.
"The present prototype hydrogel wound dressing could potentially be deployed as a device to deliver insect-derived active products to skin wounds in vivo to encourage tissue regeneration."........
Posted by: George Permalink Source
