Publications by authors named "John A Mcgrath"

Article Synopsis
  • - Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a severe lung disease with no cure besides lung transplantation, and its mechanisms are not fully understood.
  • - Research indicates that a deficiency in the innate immune receptor TLR5 increases the risk of IPF in humans and raises vulnerability to lung damage and fibrosis in mice; activating TLR5 protects against these issues.
  • - The protective effects of TLR5 are linked to its role in promoting healthy microbial balance in the lungs, with disrupted microbiomes seen in both IPF patients and TLR5-deficient mice.
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  • The study created a comprehensive reference atlas of human prenatal skin (7-17 weeks post-conception) using advanced techniques like single-cell and spatial transcriptomics to explore the roles of immune cells, specifically macrophages, in skin development.
  • It was found that interactions between immune and non-immune cells are essential for key processes in skin development, such as hair follicle formation, scarless wound healing, and blood vessel growth.
  • Additionally, while a skin organoid model mimicked certain features of prenatal skin, it lacked immune cells and showed limited blood vessel diversity, highlighting the important roles of macrophages and their derived factors in skin morphology and development.
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  • Pain is a significant issue for individuals with epidermolysis bullosa (EB), impacting their quality of life and identified as a priority for improved treatments.
  • The Prospective EB Longitudinal Evaluation Study (PEBLES) gathered data over eight years from 61 participants to evaluate pain characteristics and treatments in different RDEB subtypes.
  • Results showed that 93% of participants experienced pain, with a median background pain score of 40 and procedural pain score of 52; many did not use medication for pain management despite its severity.
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Article Synopsis
  • Epidermolysis bullosa pruriginosa (EBP) is a severe skin condition linked to intense itching and a specific immune response characterized by Th2 inflammation.
  • Research indicates that JAK inhibitors could be more effective than dupilumab for treating EBP.
  • JAK inhibitors work by reducing JAK-STAT signaling and altering Th1/2 cell differentiation in affected skin areas, but this effect doesn't extend to the peripheral blood.
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The BJD prides itself on the quality and breadth of its content. Our current publications span the Journal's key domains of translational research, clinical trials, epidemiology, global health, evidence-based dermatology, and outcomes and qualitative research, with the editorial aim of publishing the best clinically relevant science, advances in dermatology and items of clinical or practical value and interest to dermatologists and other colleagues working in related disciplines.

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Importance: Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) is an increasingly prevalent form of follicular lichen planus, causing irreversible hair loss predominantly in postmenopausal individuals. An earlier genome-wide meta-analysis of female FFA identified risk loci in genes implicated in self-antigen presentation and T-cell homeostasis, including HLA-B*07:02, ST3GAL1, and SEMA4B. However, CYP1B1, which is important for hormone metabolism, was also implicated with the substitution of serine for asparagine at position 453 (c.

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Porous silicon nanoneedles can interface with cells and tissues with minimal perturbation for high-throughput intracellular delivery and biosensing. Typically, nanoneedle devices are rigid, flat, and opaque, which limits their use for topical applications in the clinic. We have developed a robust, rapid, and precise substrate transfer approach to incorporate nanoneedles within diverse substrates of arbitrary composition, flexibility, curvature, transparency, and biodegradability.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) is a rare genetic condition caused by a deficiency of type VII collagen, leading to severe skin blisters and wounds.
  • - The disease affects more than just the skin, leading to chronic inflammation, fibrotic changes, pain, itchiness, and anemia, which greatly reduce quality of life and survival rates.
  • - The review highlights the systemic effects of RDEB and discusses potential research directions aimed at improving treatment and patient outcomes.
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Background: Dominant dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DDEB) is characterized by trauma-induced blisters and, in some individuals, intense pruritus. Precisely what causes itch in DDEB and optimal ways to reduce it have not been fully determined.

Objectives: To characterize DDEB skin transcriptomes to identify therapeutic targets to reduce pruritus in patients.

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Autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis (ARCI) is a genetically heterogeneous disorder with aberrant skin scaling and increased transepidermal water loss (TEWL). Current treatments for ARCI are limited and suboptimal. We present the case of a 27-year-old man with ARCI resulting from a homozygous missense variant in TGM1.

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Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) is a rare inherited skin disease characterized by defects in type VII collagen leading to a range of fibrotic pathologies resulting from skin fragility, aberrant wound healing, and altered dermal fibroblast physiology. Using a novel in vitro model of fibrosis based on endogenously produced extracellular matrix, we screened an FDA-approved compound library and identified antivirals as a class of drug not previously associated with anti-fibrotic action. Preclinical validation of our lead hit, daclatasvir, in a mouse model of RDEB demonstrated significant improvement in fibrosis as well as overall quality of life with increased survival, weight gain and activity, and a decrease in pruritus-induced hair loss.

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The hallmark of epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is fragile attachment of epithelia due to genetic variants in cell adhesion genes. We describe 16 EB patients treated in the ear, nose, and throat department of a tertiary pediatric hospital linked to the United Kingdom's national EB unit between 1992 and 2023. Patients suffered a high degree of morbidity and mortality from laryngotracheal stenosis.

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We have generated MLi005-A, a new induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line derived from skin fibroblasts of a male patient with dominant dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DDEB). This iPSC line may be used as a model system for studies on skin integrity, the extracellular matrix and skin barrier function. The characterization of the MLi005-A cell line consisted of molecular karyotyping, next-generation sequencing of the COL7A1 alleles, pluripotency and differentiation potentials testing by immunofluorescence of associated markers in vitro.

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