News

Los Angeles - Cutaneous atrophy, the bane of topical corticosteroid treatment, may have met its match in a thyroid hormone analogue, according to Jan Faergemann, M.D., Ph.D.

Paris - Increased understanding of the basic molecular mechanisms involved in angiogenesis has suggested new targets for treating a number of dermatological and other diseases, and many compounds affecting angiogenesis are in clinical trials. However, questions remain to be answered about potential strategies for optimizing the efficacy of pro- and anti-angiogenic interventions and the safety of these novel treatments, Peter Carmeliet, Ph.D., said at the World Congress of Dermatology.

Los Angeles - Already approved for the treatment of acne, tazarotene (Tazorac) is being investigated for the treatment of facial photodamage and clogged pores. The FDA is expected to grant regulatory approval for tazarotene to treat photodamaged facial skin within a few months.

There is still hope for a Medicare "giveback" bill before Congress adjourns for good this year, and the possibility of a broader Medicare drug benefit than the discount card just announced by the Bush administration could be the best last chance to get this done.

Los Angeles - Dermatologists concerned that long-term topical tretinoin use might worsen epidermal cellular atypia can rest assured it does not, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Investigational Dermatology. In fact, the treatment used commonly to rid patients of the fine lines and mottled discoloration of sun damage improves epidermal cellular atypia.

Paris - Judicious use of antibiotics is critical for addressing the increasing problem of bacterial resistance, Bruce H. Thiers, M.D., said at the World Congress of Dermatology.

It's been discussed for years, but now the AMA is reportedly a step closer to funding a physician's union.

Efalizumab (Raptiva), an investigational therapy for moderate-to-severe psoriasis, achieved its primary efficacy endpoint in a randomized phase III study.

Leicester - Skin anthrax may be more common in Britain than previously thought, according to a Reuters report.

New York - As the debate continues on the merits of widespread smallpox vaccination, a report in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology cautioned that vaccines can trigger severe skin reactions among susceptible individuals.

Los Angeles - The restoration of the blood flow in ischemic limbs in mice is accelerated when epidermal stem cells are injected into the site, Martine Dunnwald, PharmD, Ph.D., told colleagues at the annual meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology.

Los Angeles -The kinetics of Borrelia burgdorferi antibody titers in 394 patients with erythema migrans and correlations of IgM and IgG antibody profiles with clinical disease were described at the annual meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology.

New Orleans - Although multiple abnormal genes probably control psoriasis, only a few people inherit a combination of disease genes that causes psoriasis, according to James T. Elder, M.D., Ph.D.

New Orleans - Significant technological developments continue to advance laser and cosmetic surgery, according to Jeffrey Dover, M.D., who reviewed progress in the field over the last year at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology here.

Chicago - Several bioactive compounds similar to spin traps have been identified that can cool down and block the process of inflammation and also stop the molecular events involved in the aging of skin, Bryan Fuller, Ph.D., said. A particular compound, called Quadrinone, has now been formulated into a topical therapeutic product for problem skin.

New Orleans - Cosmetic dermatology presents a number of complex ethical issues for clinicians and researchers alike, but the bottom line for measuring what constitutes ethical practice is to consider whether patients are being treated as the physician would care for himself or his own family, Andrew C. Markey, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

San Antonio - One take-home lesson from a study on aging is that even the fibroblasts of very old people have significant proliferative potential, James R. Smith, Ph.D., said. "This suggests that fibroblasts may not be the best cells to use in determining a relationship between in vivo and in vitro aging," he said.

New Orleans - Autologous veins extracted during ambulatory phlebectomy procedures provide a safe and effective material for facial soft tissue augmentation and correction of atrophic dermal defects, Mitchel P. Goldman, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

New Orleans - Merkel cell carcinoma is a very rare tumor - U.S. physicians see only about 500 cases a year. It is also a surprisingly deep-seated skin lesion, and therefore extra attention should be paid to excision, Mary Maloney, M.D., said during her presentation on Mohs surgery at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

New Orleans - Patients and physicians express various levels of satisfaction and dissatisfaction with the most common treatment modalities for actinic keratoses. Both groups have strong interest as well in newer therapies, according to the results of a survey presented by James Q. Del Rosso, D.O., at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Stanford, Calif. - Use of an inactivated varicella vaccine may prevent immunocompromised patients from developing varicella-zoster virus infection for up to a year, Ann Arvin, M.D., said. She and colleagues published a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine showing up to 20 percent fewer patients who were varicella seropositive developed zoster a year after a hematopoietic cell transplant.

Los Angeles -- In an attempt to prove estrogen's unknown effect on keratinocytes, researchers presented in vitro data at the Society for Investigative Dermatology that suggest a direct link of the hormone to in vivo epidermal turnover and wound healing.

San Diego - With its acquisition from Bristol-Myers Squibb of worldwide rights and title to Vaniqa (eflornithine hydrochloride) Cream, Women First HealthCare plans to take another pass at providing women with hirsutism a pharmaceutical alternative.

Los Angeles -- Mast cells are directly involved in innate defense against bacterial infection through the synthesis of antimicrobial peptides, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Investigative dermatology.

Los Angeles - Researchers in The Netherlands who looked at nearly 1,000 patients added to the confirmation that smoking causes wrinkles and enhances skin aging in both sexes. They also found that smoking seems to wreak even more havoc on men's skin, causing telangiectasias. So, they said, smoking may have different effect on men and women when it comes to skin changes.

Los Angeles -- Researchers conducting a study to determine the frequency of extra-facial lesions of the erythemotelangiectatic or papulopustular subtypes in rosacea patients found that erythema on the trunk and telangiectasia on the neck were associated with the erythemotelangiectatic subtype.

New Orleans - The training received by dermatologic surgeons is more than adequate for the task; in fact, dermatologists pioneered many of the skin surgery techniques in common use today, outgoing American Academy of Dermatology president Ronald G. Wheeland, M.D., said here at a "controversies in dermatology" session at the AAD's annual meeting

New Orleans - Working smarter, not harder, is a rule people want to live by but is often more difficult than it sounds. In a medical practice setting, where efficiency can sometimes fall by the wayside, physicians must keep an eye out for simple but smart strategies to overcome office shortcomings.

How should antiperspirants be applied for maximum effectiveness?

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - For treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania major, a six-week course of oral fluconazole is effective and avoids the potentially severe side effects of standard parenteral therapy, according to Abdulrahman A. Alrajhi, M.D., M.P.H.