Author Interviews, Dermatology, Surgical Research / 29.09.2020

Botox treatment was created to make undesirable physical lines less visible. It is an efficient way to bring the natural facial appeal back to its normal condition. By getting quick and painless Botox injections, you can maintain the appearance you want most. There are a lot of myths surrounding the treatment, but the popularity of Botox is a very real thing.

botox-facial-fillers-wrinkles-skin care The Stars Know

When you hear about Botox, it is usually attached to a celebrity story. This type of treatment is very popular in Hollywood circles, and for good reason. It is an effective way to keep a specific look without major cosmetic surgery. When time is of the essence, Botox has no equal. You can set up an appointment, get the injections, and see results as early as three days. That is a single weekend required to get good looking results without breaking the bank. Hollywood is a business that relies on looks, so the popularity of Botox is no surprise. Its effectiveness on the most beautiful people in the world is the main reason why it’s still trending. (more…)
Author Interviews, Cancer Research, Dermatology, Pediatrics / 16.09.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Irene Lara-Corrales, MD Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Toronto Staff physician in Pediatric Dermatology at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada She is a member of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology.   Christina Boull, MD Assistant Professor of Dermatology at the University of Minnesota Program Director for the Advanced Dermatology Medical Student Rotation Fellowship Director for the Pediatric Dermatology Fellowship     MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: We got involved in this project a couple of years ago when many members of the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance's (PeDRA) Skin Tumors and Reactions to Cancer Therapies (STARC) group started seeing many patients with skin toxicities given by targeted therapies.  We recognized that this was a new and growing area of skin concerns that pediatric dermatologists were starting to see. Being such a new field, and with little known about these medications, we thought it would be important to put our cases together and describe what we were seeing.   (more…)
Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Cancer Research, Dermatology / 09.09.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Jennifer Huang, MD  Dr. Huang is a pediatric dermatologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She is an Associate Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Huang is a member of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. Connie Zhong, MD, MSc Dr. Zhong is an intern at Brigham and Women’s Hospital She will be doing her dermatology residency at the Harvard Combined Dermatology Program. She is a member of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology.  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Pediatric nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSC) are rare and when they do occur, are often associated with genetic/predisposing skin conditions or iatrogenic risk factors. There are some pediatric patients who develop NMSCs who do not have identifiable risk factors. The objective of our study was to describe the demographic and clinical features of these children without identifiable risk factors and compare them with those who have either genetic or iatrogenic risk factors. We conducted a retrospective study at 11 tertiary care institutions across North America through the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA) (more…)
Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Cancer Research, Dermatology / 03.09.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Yin Zhang MD Research Fellow in Medicine Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Among modern hair dyes, permanent hair dye is the most popular type, and is the most aggressive and extensively used type that has posed the greatest potential concern about cancer risk. Monitoring and investigating the carcinogenic hazard to people from personal use of permanent hair dyes has major public health implications. In 2008, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer, after comprehensive reviewed prior evidence, classified occupational exposure to hair dyes as a probable carcinogen to humans (group 2A), whereas personal use of hair dyes was not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans (Group 3). Data on hair dye safety has also been continuously monitored by the USFDA. Prior epidemiological evidence may have been influenced by not discriminating between personal and occupational exposure, an inability to distinguish types and colors of hair dyes used, imprecise assessment of several critical domains of exposure history (duration, frequency and cumulative dose), and inadequate control for potential confounding. (more…)
Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Cancer Research, Dermatology, JAMA / 14.08.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Maryam M. Asgari, MD MPH Professor Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are Topical Calcineurin Inhibitors used for?  Response: Topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCIs) are FDA approved for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (though they are used off-label to treat a wide range of inflammatory conditions of the skin, including psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, and contact dermatitis).  There are currently two drugs available – tacrolimus and pimecrolimus – both of which carry a black box label warning users about the potential for increased skin cancer risk.  The risk associated with keratinocyte carcinoma, the most common cancer (defined as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma), remains poorly defined because findings from large-scale post-marketing surveillance studies are lacking.  (more…)
Author Interviews, Dermatology, FDA, Regeneron, Sanofi / 31.07.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Elizabeth Laws, PhD Vice President and Global Project Head for Dupilumab/Dupixent Sanofi Marcie Ruddy, MD, MA Strategic Program Direction, Immunology and Inflammation Regeneron  Dr. Laws and Dr. Ruddy discuss the FDA approval of a 300 mg single-dose pre-filled pen for Dupixent® (dupilumab) for all indications in patients aged 12 years and older.   MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this announcement? What are the main indications for Dupixent? Response: Until now, Dupixent 300 mg dose was available only in pre-filled syringe for administration. The approval of the pre-filled pen provides an additional, easy-to-use option for patients to self-administer Dupixent. Dupixent is approved to treat patients aged 6 years and older with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) and can be used with or without topical treatments. Dupixent is also approved for use with other medicines for the maintenance treatment of uncontrolled moderate-to-severe eosinophilic or oral steroid dependent asthma in patients aged 12 years and older, and with other medicines for the maintenance treatment of uncontrolled chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) in adults, respectively. The pre-filled pen is approved for use in patients prescribed Dupixent who are 12 years of age and older across current indications, at the 300 mg dose. (more…)
Author Interviews, Dermatology, Pediatrics / 25.07.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Eunyoung Cho, Sc.D. Associate Professor and Director of Research Department of Dermatology The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: We are interested in whether flares of alopecia area (AA), one of the most common autoimmune diseases resulting in sudden loss of scalp and facial hair, follow seasonal patterns and whether these potential patterns are related to climate factors.  We recently analyzed a set of data on pediatric AA flares, which demonstrated seasonal patterns, with the largest number of flares in the fall, finding that climate factors such as UV index were correlated with the AA flare frequency of patients in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a geographical region with four distinct seasons.  Here, we explored the seasonal patterns and contribution of climate factors in pediatric AA patients in Providence, Rhode Island, another geographical region with four distinct seasons, to test whether we can replicate our previous findings. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, Dermatology, Pediatrics / 25.07.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Catherine M. Ludwig is a 4th year medical student at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine. Her interests in dermatology include inflammatory and genetic conditions, especially within pediatric dermatology.     Alyssa M. Thompson is currently a 2nd year medical student at the UA-COM Tucson. She graduated from the University of Arizona, Summa Cum Laude in 2018 as the athletic department's Valedictorian with a degree in Physiology and an Entrepreneurship certificate. Her passion for research and dermatology stems from her innovative and integrative mindset with specific interest in inflammatory skin disease.     MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Eczema is very common in children. Prescription medications are important for managing eczema flares, but a lot of the work in treating eczema is preventative, done by consistently moisturizing the skin at home with drug store products. Allergic contact dermatitis occurs more commonly in people with eczema. A previous study was done in characterizing the allergenic potential of drug-store moisturizers and found that 88% of moisturizers contain at least one common allergen. Many moisturizers are marketed specifically to eczema, but the allergen content of these products are unknown. (more…)
Author Interviews, Dermatology, Pediatrics / 25.07.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Jennifer Schoch, MD Dr. Schoch is a pediatric dermatologist and Associate Professor of Dermatology at the University of Florida. Her research focuses on the infantile skin microbiome and its role in pediatric skin disease. She is a member of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology.    Reesa Monir, MD Dr. Monir is a PGY-3 dermatology resident at the University of Florida. She plans to pursue a career in pediatric dermatology.       MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?  Response: Atopic dermatitis is a common pediatric skin condition that often begins during infancy. Kids and families alike suffer from the itching and demanding care required to manage this condition. While existing studies have examined the impact of race on atopic dermatitis from birth to adulthood, few studies have examined the early childhood period specifically. As this time is the peak period for diagnosis, we sought to examine the impact of race on disease prevalence during early childhood.  (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, Dermatology / 22.07.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD, PhD Professor of Dermatology and Immunology Vice Chair of the Department of Dermatology Icahn School of Medicine MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What is the importance of differentiating these two skin conditions?   Response: The background is that up to now skin biopsies were considered the gold standard for obtaining skin biomarkers of atopic dermatitis/AD and psoriasis that are linked to disease activity in skin and for obtaining the cutaneous gene and protein expression fingerprint of each individual disease. Biopsies are also used in clinical trials to obtain the skin phenotype. However biopsies are invasive, painful and scarring. Thus we need less invasive means to profile diseases and obtain biomarkers. Tape strips is a minimally invasive approach to sample and study the skin. However, prior studies using tape strips could not fully capture the phenotype of the diseases and also sampling the recovery rate was less than optimal, not allowing this approach to be widely used. Psoriasis and AD are the most common inflammatory skin diseases, but these diseases are treated very differently and in some cases are very difficult to differentiate between them clinically and even in biopsies.  (more…)
Author Interviews, Dermatology / 09.07.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:   Julie C. Harper, MD Clinical Associate Professor of Dermatology University of Alabama-Birmingham MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? How common is rosacea? What are the clinical manifestations of facial rosacea or psoriasis? 
    • In 2018, the initial Beyond the Visible report provided new insights into rosacea and the psychosocial burden associated with invisible symptoms. These insights further highlighted how little is really known of the burden faced by those suffering from facial skin diseases. In this new 2020 report, Beyond the Visible: rosacea and psoriasis of the face, we explored new dimensions of the burden faced by both rosacea and psoriasis of the face patients to learn from patients’ experiences and behaviors to better inform treatment based on the comparisons and contrasts. The survey spanned six countries, 300 rosacea patients and 318 psoriasis of the face patients to answer three questions:
      • What is the burden faced by patients with psoriasis of the face and of rosacea?
      • How does the burden faced by rosacea patients differ from patients with psoriasis of the face?
      • What can we learn to help both patients and doctors to achieve the best possible outcomes for their patients?
    • Rosacea is more common than people might initially assume. There are an estimated 16 million Americans with rosacea, building up to 415 million rosacea sufferers worldwide.
    • Rosacea is commonly characterized by persistent redness and facial flushing, inflammatory lesions which may resemble acne-like bumps, visible blood vessels, and skin thickening. However, it’s important to note that rosacea symptoms vary person to person. Psoriasis of the face symptoms present themselves as red, scaly lesions that are usually along the forehead, hairline and ears. Moreover, psoriasis is known to be associated with itching, while rosacea sufferers have reported burning and stinging.
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Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, Dermatology, Environmental Risks, JAMA / 26.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr Herman Anne MD Service de Dermatologie Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc   MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, several cases of acro-located lesions (on foot or hands) suggestive of chilblains have been reported and were possibly related to COVID-19. We wanted to determine if chilblains, observed in many patients recently referred to our department, are indicative of COVID-19. MedicalResearch.com: Would you briefly explain what is meant by chilblains? Response: Chilblains are frequent cold induced inflammatory lesions. Chilblains are typically seen in winter and occur after repeated exposure to cold temperatures. Clinical presentation includes erythema and swelling on toes and/or digits followed by red-purple macules or patches. However, given the large number of patients affected, and the exceptionally high outdoor temperatures for the spring season over the past month and at the time of case-observation, cold-exposure seemed unlikely. These lesions were, therefore, suspected to be associated with COVID-19. However, to date, no study has proven a pathological link between these lesions and COVID-19. (more…)
Author Interviews, Dermatology / 25.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Jonathan L. Silverberg MD PhD MPH Assistant Professor in Dermatology Medical Social Sciences and Preventive Medicine Northwestern, Chicago, Illinois MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Topical anti-inflammatory therapy is often inadequate to achieve disease control in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD), and systemic therapy is often warranted. Tralokinumab is a fully human immunoglobulin G4 monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to the IL-13 cytokine with high affinity and inhibits downstream IL-13 pro-inflammatory signaling. Tralokinumab was previously studied as a monotherapy in moderate-severe AD in the ECZTRA1 and ECZTRA2 studies. In this Phase 3 randomized controlled study, ECZTRA3, tralokinumab was studies in combination with topical corticosteroids compared to placebo with topical corticosteroids. The use of topical anti-inflammatory therapy is more akin to the way in which systemic and biologic therapies are typically used in the real-world. (more…)
Author Interviews, Dermatology, Regeneron / 23.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Brad Shumel, MD Senior Director of Medical Affairs, Immunology Regeneron MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory disease and one of the most common skin disorders in children. Severe atopic dermatitis is characterized by skin lesions that often cover a large body surface area and can include intense, persistent itch. Uncontrolled moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis can have a physical, emotional and psychosocial impact on children, resulting in sleep deprivation, activity restriction, poor school performance, depression and anxiety that can have a greater impact on quality-of-life. The standard of care for this pediatric population has been topical corticosteroids. Children with severe atopic dermatitis who remain uncontrolled with topical therapies have limited treatment options. This Phase 3 trial was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of dupilumab plus topical corticosteroids (TCS) compared with TCS alone in children with uncontrolled severe atopic dermatitis across two treatment arms – every four weeks and every two weeks (Q4W and Q2W). (more…)
Author Interviews, Dermatology, Melanoma, Nature, Technology / 23.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Professor Harald Kittler, MD ViDIR Group, Department of Dermatology Medical University of Vienna Vienna, Austria MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?  What types of skin cancers were assessed? (melanoma, SCC, Merkel etc). Response: Some researchers believe that AI will make human intelligence dispensable. It is, however, still a matter of debate how exactly AI will influence diagnostic medicine in the future. The current narrative is focused on a competition between human and artificial intelligence. We sought to shift the direction of this narrative more towards human/AI collaboration. To this end we studied the use-case of skin cancer diagnosis including the most common types of skin cancer such as melanoma, basal cell- and squamous cell carcinoma. The initial idea was to explore the effects of varied representations of AI support across different levels of clinical expertise and to address the question of how humans and machines work together as a team. (more…)
Author Interviews, Dermatology, Kidney Disease / 22.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Gil Yosipovitch, MD, Professor Miami Itch Center Lennar Medical Foundation South Miami Clinic in Coral Gables University of Miami Health System MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Chronic Pruritus is a common and burdensome condition in patients with end stage chronic kidney disease (CKD). It is Present at all stages of CKD, not only in patients undergoing hemodialysis (including stage 3-5 CKD). There are no approved treatments for this condition in US and Europe. CKD pruritus   has significant impact on quality of life of patients with higher mortality rates due to its effect on sleep. Studies in the last 2 decades have shown that in patients with CKD pruritus there is an imbalance between endogenous mu opioids that are over expressed to Kappa Opioids that are down regulated.   Difelikefalin (DFK) is a novel peripherally selective kappa opioid receptor (KOR) agonist.   Study of IV DFK administration  in hemodialysis patients has  recently  been published and showed significant anti Pruritic effect ( NEJM Fishbane et al. 382: 289-290, 2020). (more…)
Author Interviews, Dermatology, Melanoma, Technology / 17.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Chi Hwan Lee PhD Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, and by Courtesy, of Materials Engineering, and Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences Purdue University  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Conventional melanoma therapies, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, suffer from the toxicity and side effects of repeated treatments due to the aggressive and recurrent nature of melanoma cells. Less-invasive topical chemotherapies by utilizing miniaturized polymeric microneedles are emerged as an alternative, but the sustained, long-lasting release of drug cargos remains challenged due to the rapidly dissolving behavior of polymers (typically, within 15 min-2 hrs). In addition, the size of the microneedles is still large for small, curvilinear and sensitive areas of tissues such as cornea (for ocular melanoma). (more…)
Author Interviews, Dermatology, Pediatrics, Pharmaceutical Companies, Regeneron / 15.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Amy S Paller, MD Chair, Department of Dermatology Director, Skin Biology and Diseases Resource-Based Center Walter J. Hamlin Professor of Dermatology Professor of Dermatology and Pediatrics (Dermatology) Feinberg School of Medicine Northwestern University  Dr. Paller discusses the FDA approval of Dupixent® (dupilumab) for children aged 6 to 11 years with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (eczema), whose disease is not adequately controlled with topical prescription therapies or when those therapies are not advisable.  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this announcement? Would you briefly discuss what is meant by atopic dermatitis and how it affects children? Response: “Atopic dermatitis, the most common form of eczema, is a chronic inflammatory disease that often appears as a rash on the skin. Moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis is characterized by rashes that can potentially cover much of the body and can include intense, persistent itching, skin lesions and skin dryness, cracking, redness or darkness, crusting and oozing. Itch is one of the most burdensome symptoms for patients and can be debilitating. This recent FDA approval expands the use of Dupilumab in the U.S. to include children aged 6 to 11 years with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, making it the only biologic medicine approved for this use in this population. Dupilumab is also approved in the U.S. to treat patients aged 12 years and older with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. Moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis can place a particularly substantial burden on young children aged 6 to 11 years and their families. Limited treatment options leave many of these children to cope with intense, unrelenting itch and skin lesions. Families of these children can spend countless hours helping them to manage their disease.” (more…)
Author Interviews, Dermatology / 12.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: David Granville PhD, FAHA Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC Associate Director, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, VGH-UBC Associate Director, BC Professional Firefighters Burn & Wound Healing Group, Department of Surgery, UBC Principal Investigator, iCORD and UBC Centre for Heart Lung Innovation MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Atopic dermatitis (aka. eczema) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition characterized by patches of dry, red, itchy skin. These patches can come and go - a process often referred to as 'flare ups'. Often when these flare ups occur, people avoid going out, or to work, resulting in lost productivity and reduced quality of life. While the cause of these flare-ups is not completely understood, a loss of the skin's protective barrier function is believed to be a triggering event. This is because the outer layer of skin (epidermis) acts as a barrier to allergens and other foreign entities from getting into the skin. When this outer barrier is lost, allergens are able to cross and penetrate the deeper layers of skin. This triggers an inflammatory response. The inflammatory response, in turn, can release factors that cause further disruption of the barrier thereby exacerbating the flare up. The outer skin barrier can be thought of in terms of a brick wall in which the 'bricks', or skin cells in this case, are held together by a molecular 'grout' known as adhesion proteins. If these adhesion proteins, which tightly anchor the skin cells together, are lost, the skin becomes more permeable to the outer environment, allowing foreign antigens to enter in, and conversely, moisture to escape out resulting in skin dryness and shedding (more…)
Author Interviews, Dermatology, Stem Cells, Surgical Research / 01.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Charles-de-SáM.D., Ph.D. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Our clinical trial was based on our clinical skin observations in areas submitted to a lipotransfer previously, an ordinary practice in plastic surgery. These clinical observations lead us to investigate what will be the key element played in these findings. Our scientific support investigation addressed the Dardick1and Zuk, P2 studies, that demonstrated fibroblastic-like cells in adipose tissue with regenerative ability. Our clinical trial proposal is to investigate the adipose-derived stem cell (ADSC) role in the photoaged skin. The direct endpoint of the study was to assess the histological benefits provided by the subdermal ADSC injection. Mesenchymal stem cells were obtained from lipoaspirates, expanded in vitro, and introduced into the facial skin of 20 patients submitted after three to four months to a face-lifting surgery. In the retrieved skin, immunocytochemical and ultrastructural analysis quantified elastic matrix components, cathepsin-K, metalloprotease MMP-12, and the macrophage M2 markers: CD68, CD206 and heme-oxygenase-1.An overview of the trial steps is described in the infographic.  (more…)
Author Interviews, Dermatology, Genetic Research / 01.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Sarah E. Millar, Ph.D. Director, Black Family Stem Cell Institute Professor, Departments of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology and Dermatology Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, NY MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: One of the major roles of the skin is to serve as a protective barrier, both preventing external insults, such as toxins and pathogens, from entering the body, and helping to retain moisture. The mechanisms required for appropriate skin barrier formation remain incompletely understood. Elucidating these processes is important for understanding and developing improved treatments for dermatological diseases in which the skin barrier is dysfunctional, such as eczema and psoriasis. Understanding epigenetic regulators, proteins that modify the structure of genetic material, is an area of scientific interest, as many new drugs target these proteins. Importantly, multiple epigenetic regulators have been shown to be important in skin development. My lab has focused on one group of epigenetic regulators, histone deacetylases (HDACs), because HDAC inhibitors show promise for treating several different cancers and other disorders in which cell proliferation is poorly controlled. We previously showed that HDACs 1 and 2 are required for normal skin development. In the current study, we investigated whether the related protein HDAC3 is also important in establishing the skin barrier.  (more…)
Author Interviews, Dermatology / 21.05.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Melanie D. Palm, MD, MBA Board-certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon San Diego, CA Clinical investigator in the Restylane Kysse phase 3 Galaderma trial Dr. Palm discusses the recent announcement that the FDA has approved Restylane® Kysse for lip augmentation and the correction of upper perioral rhytids (wrinkles)  in adults over the age of 21.   MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this announcement?
    • Restylane® Kysse has been approved and used in Europe and Canada for several years. It is now the first FDA-approved hyaluronic acid (HA) lip filler in the U.S. formulated with XpresHAn Technology™ (pronounced ex-'spre-shan’) for smooth, natural-looking results.
    • It is FDA-approved for use not only in the lip but for improvement of upper lip lines.
    • Restylane Kysse is the third product (following Restylane Defyne and Restylane Refyne) in the Restylane family of fillers to use XpresHAn Technology™ which allows for a gel that integrates into the skin for natural expression in motion
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Author Interviews, Dermatology / 13.05.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Brian S. Kim, MD, MTR, FAAD Associate Professor of Medicine (Dermatology) Co-Director, Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine Washington University School of Medicine St. Louis, MO  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Itch is the central and most debilitating symptom of atopic dermatitis. However, surprisingly, measuring itch or quality of life in clinical trials is not often a primary endpoint. Therefore, this study focuses in very detailed fashion on how ruxolitinib cream improves pruritus in a clinically meaningful way and its ultimate impact on quality of life. What patients want to know at the end of the day is how much will this drug change my life?  Not, whether it statistically beat out a placebo group. Indeed, what this study shows is that ruxolitinib cream has a major impact on itch in a meaningful way that is also tied to improvements in quality of life. (more…)
Author Interviews, Dermatology, Melanoma / 08.05.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Neelam A. Vashi, MD Associate Professor of Dermatology Director, Boston University Center for Ethnic Skin Director, Cosmetic and Laser Center Boston University School of Medicine and Daniela P.Sanchez BS Boston Medical Center Boston, MA 02118 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Although melanoma most commonly affects Caucasians, Hispanics are disproportionately affected by greater morbidity and mortality rates when diagnosed. Poor prognosis in Hispanic patients is likely multifactorial, and may be secondary to lack of knowledge or misconceptions about melanoma risk, atypical presentation, impaired access to care, and language barriers, ultimately resulting in a delay in diagnosis. (more…)
Author Interviews, Dermatology, Neurology / 28.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Santosh K. Mishra M.Tech., PhD Assistant Professor of Neuroscience Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences NC State Veterinary Medicine Raleigh, NC 2760 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Would you briefly explain what is meant by atopic dermatitis? Response: Chronic allergic itch is a worldwide problem that leads to substantial health expenses,but what causes this universal urge to scratch remains elusive in chronic allergic itch. Atopic dermatitis is a common allergic skin disease that often associated with extremely itchy and inflamed skin. In our study, we showed, for the first time, a molecular pathway that is involved in chronic allergic itch as we identified an endogenous mediator (periostin) and a new role for its sensory neuron receptor, the integrin αVβ3, which drives the excitability and transmission of itch signal to the spinal cord.  (more…)
Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, Dermatology / 04.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Amit Gefen PhD Professor of Biomedical Engineering The Herbert J. Berman Chair in Vascular Bioengineering Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Although we are witnessing continuous progress in medical technologies, the design of many of the most commonly used medical devices e.g. oxygen masks or cervical collars has changed very little over a period of decades. Not surprisingly, these devices are also the ones which are frequently associated with device-related pressure ulcers (DRPUs). These DRPUs are frequently a hospital-acquired injury which involves risk of infections (including e.g. sepsis and antibiotic-resistant bacteria), scarring with serious psychological consequences, additional and significant healthcare costs and a basis for liability suits and litigation. The problem is massive in Europe and the US and is most frequently encountered in clinical environments where devices are used intensively, such as in operation theatres, intensive care units and emergency care settings (in both adult and pediatric medicine), but also, in elderly care facilities where patients often have fragile skin. With the current pandemic spread of the coronavirus, facilities worldwide are experiencing a considerable rise in usage of emergency and intensive care equipment, which will very likely considerably escalate the incidence of DRPUs. Early in 2019, a committee of global experts which I have chaired, has met for two days of intensive deliberation in London UK, to start developing the first-ever international consensus document on device-related pressure ulcers . After a rigorous review process by an international review committee of other experts, this consensus report has been published as a Special Edition of the Journal of Wound Care in February 2019 (https://doi.org/10.12968/jowc.2020.29.Sup2a.S1), under the name "Device-related pressure ulcers: SECURE prevention". The publisher has kindly made this publication freely downloadable and thereby accessible and available to anyone, including all professionals who may need guidance in this regard, including clinicians, industry, regulators and academic researches. (more…)
Author Interviews, Dermatology, Technology / 03.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Jung-Im Na, MD PhD Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology Seoul National University Bundang Hospital Korea  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Would you briefly explain what is meant by a convolutional neural network? Response: When a very young child looks at a picture, she can easily identify cats and dogs, however, even the most advanced computers had struggled at this task until recently. Computers began to “see” with the recent advancement of Deep Learning techniques. Deep Learning is a machine learning technique that teaches computers to learn from raw data. Most deep learning methods use artificial neural network architectures, imitating human brain, and convolutional neural networks (CNN) is a particular type of deep learning architecture, imitating the visual cortex. CNN is especially powerful for recognizing images. CNN exploit the information contained in image datasets to automatically learn features and patterns. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, Dermatology / 20.03.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Gil Yosipovitch, MD, Professor Miami Itch Center Lennar Medical Foundation South Miami Clinic in Coral Gables University of Miami Health System MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? How does Dupilumab (Dupixent) differ from other medications for atopic dermatitis/eczema? Response: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is characterized by intense itch (pruritus) that is one of the most burdensome symptoms; therefore, rapid and sustained improvement in itch is an important marker of treatment benefit. Dupixent® (dupilumab) is approved in the U.S. for adults and adolescents with inadequately-controlled moderate-to-severe Atopic Dermatitis. Dupilumab remains the first and only biologic medicine for uncontrolled moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. Dupilumab is the first and only fully human monoclonal antibody that inhibits the signaling of the interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-13 (IL-13) proteins. Data from dupilumab clinical trials have shown that IL-4 and IL-13 are key drivers of the type 2 inflammation that plays a major role in atopic dermatitis, asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.  (more…)
Author Interviews, Dermatology, Pediatrics / 18.03.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Adawiyah Jamil, AdvMDerm Associate Professor at Department of Medicine University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Center Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: We commonly observed poor dietary pattern and multiple food restrictions imposed on atopic dermatitis (AD) children by their parents in our daily clinical practice. Food allergy is often associated with AD, however excessive and medically unsubstantiated restriction may lead to various health issues. AD is a chronic skin disease, like any other chronic diseases it affects an individual’s general health. Growth and development are key measures of health in children. We embarked on this study as we were very worried of the consequences of medically unsupervised food restriction, especially those with severe disease.  We were concerned about how our atopic dermatitis children are eating and how to help them. (more…)