Local vasoregulative interventions impact drug concentrations in the skin after topical laser-assisted delivery.

Introduction: The ability of ablative fractional lasers (AFL) to enhance topical drug uptake is well established. After AFL delivery, however, drug clearance by local vasculature is poorly understood. Modifications in vascular clearance may enhance AFL-assisted drug concentrations and prolong drug dwell time in the skin.

Norrin Protects Retinal Ganglion Cells from Excitotoxic Damage via the Induction of Leukemia Inhibitory Factor.

Purpose: To investigate whether and how leukemia inhibitory factor (Lif) is involved in mediating the neuroprotective effects of Norrin on retinal ganglion cells (RGC) following excitotoxic damage. Norrin is a secreted protein that protects RGC from methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-mediated excitotoxic damage, which is accompanied by increased expression of protective factors such as Lif, Edn2 and Fgf2.

Methods: Lif-deficient mice were injected with NMDA in one eye and NMDA plus Norrin into the other eye.

A microscale, full-thickness, human skin on a chip assay simulating neutrophil responses to skin infection and antibiotic treatments.

Human skin models are essential for understanding dermatological diseases and testing new treatment strategies. The use of skin biopsies ex vivo is the most accurate model. However, their use is expensive and exposes the donor to pain and scarring.

Lidocaine-induced potentiation of thermal damage in skin and carcinoma cells.

Objective: Lidocaine acts as a local anesthetic by blocking transmembrane sodium channel permeability, but also induces the synthesis of heat shock proteins and sensitizes cells to hyperthermia. A previous study reported two cases of deep focal skin ulceration at points corresponding to depot local lidocaine injection sites after treatment with non-ablative fractional resurfacing and it was hypothesized that lidocaine had focally sensitized keratinocytes to the thermal damage of laser treatment. The objective of this study was to investigate whether lidocaine potentiates hyperthermia damage to both normal and cancerous skin cells using an in vitro model.