Skin News Blog From Medicineworld.Org
1) June 17, 2008, 9:42 PM CT
Inherited melanoma risk: What you do know?
Salt Lake CityWhen people know the results of genetic tests confirming they have inherited an increased risk of developing melanoma, they follow skin cancer screening recommendations more proactivelymuch like those who have already been diagnosed with the potentially deadly disease, as per results of a study completed at the University of Utah's Huntsman Cancer Institute. and reported in the recent issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention
Tests for mutations in the CDKN2A gene can reveal a reason that melanomas "run" in families. The study reviewed the intent to follow, and the actual practice of, skin cancer early detection methods by members of families that carry CDKN2A gene mutations. Study participants were drawn from a group of Utahns who participated in the original "CDKN2A gene hunt" 10 to 12 years ago. They already knew that their family history might put them at increased risk for melanoma, and they had previously received melanoma prevention and screening education.
The results showed that people who tested positive for the CDKN2A mutation followed melanoma screening recommendations more carefully than before, even if they had not had a melanoma. In addition, knowing the test results did not lead family members without the mutation to decrease their screening measures.........
2) June 1, 2008, 10:40 PM CT
New combination therapy safe, promising for melanoma
Scientists in the melanoma and skin cancer program at UPCI combined two biotherapies therapys that stimulate the immune system to fight cancer and found the results promising in terms of anti-tumor effects and tolerable in terms of toxicity. High-dose interferon alfa-2b, a standard therapy for metastatic skin cancer, and tremelimumab, an antibody thought to instigate the bodys immune system to attack tumors, were combined for the first time in this phase 2 clinical trial.
With each new study, we learn something important about melanoma, said John M. Kirkwood, M.D., leader of the program and professor and vice chairman for clinical research in the Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. With this study, we learned that adding tremelimumab to traditional therapy is not only safe, but an effective way to induce an anti-tumor response, which is very exciting.
For this study, 16 patients diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma, all of whom received and had not benefited from at least one round of prior treatment, were given the combination therapy. The overall response rate was 19 percent, and the study has since moved into the second stage, where it will enroll 21 additional patients.........
3)
Two Different Peels Both Effective in Acne
Image courtesy of dermstore.com
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.........
4)
Melanomas may appear different than other moles
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.........
5)
Multiple skin cancer risk behaviors are common
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.........
6)
Broccoli against devastating genetic skin disorder
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.........
7)
Mechanism For Acne Drug's Link To Depression
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.........
8)
Smoking increases risk of psoriasis
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.........
9)
Using honey to heal wounds
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.........
10)
Cannabis May Alleviate Allergic Skin Disease
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.........
11)
Green tea as treatment for inflammatory skin diseases
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." .........
12)
The elderberry way to perfect 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.........
13)
Natural signal holds promise for psoriasis
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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