Wound healing protects against chemotherapy-induced alopecia in young rats via up-regulating interleukin-1β-mediated signaling.

Wound healing is a complex process regulated by various cell types and a plethora of mediators. While interactions between wounded skin and the hair follicles (HFs) could induce HF neogenesis or promote wound healing, it remains unknown whether the wound healing-associated signaling milieu can be manipulated to protect against alopecia, such as chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA). Utilizing a well-established neonatal rat model of CIA, we show here that skin wounding protects from alopecia caused by several clinically relevant chemotherapeutic regimens, and that protection is dependent on the time of wounding and hair cycle stage.

Interstitial nephritis in melanoma patients secondary to PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors have become the first line therapy in melanoma treatment and their use is extending to other malignancies. However, we are still learning about immune side effects produced by these drugs and their severity especially in patients with history of inflammatory diseases.

Case Presentation: We present two cases of metastatic melanoma treated with nivolumab and pembrolizumab (anti PD-1).

Aneuploidy and Tetraploidy as Distinct Patterns During Melanomagenesis.

Melanoma is characterized by a high degree of chromosome instability (CIN), the loss or gain of entire chromosomes or pieces of chromosomes. Also, CIN is likely to drive the progression of benign melanocytic lesions to malignant tumors, although very little is known about the acquisition of the mechanisms that promote CIN along this progression. Here, we describe the development of a model system to study the progression of melanomagenesis starting with normal human melanocytes followed by inactivation of the p53 and pRb tumor suppressors by addition of the E6/E7 proteins.

Isolation of Mouse Hair Follicle Bulge Stem Cells and Their Functional Analysis in a Reconstitution Assay.

The hair follicle (HF) is a dynamic structure readily accessible within the skin, and contains various pools of stem cells that have a broad regenerative potential during normal homeostasis and in response to injury. Recent discoveries demonstrating the multipotent capabilities of hair follicle stem cells and the easy access to skin tissue make the HF an attractive source for isolating stem cells and their subsequent application in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Here, we describe the isolation and purification of hair follicle bulge stem cells from mouse skin, and hair reconstitution assays that allows the functional analysis of multipotent stem cells.

Adalimumab treatment leads to reduction of tissue tumor necrosis factor-alpha correlated with venous leg ulcer improvement: a pilot study.

Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) have higher tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels compared with normal skin. Refractory VLUs of long duration have higher TNF-α levels compared with VLUs of shorter duration. As up to 75% of VLUs fail to heal with standard care, we sought to evaluate the role of anti-TNF-α therapy for patients with refractory VLUs.

Potential role of meiosis proteins in melanoma chromosomal instability.

Melanomas demonstrate chromosomal instability (CIN). In fact, CIN can be used to differentiate melanoma from benign nevi. The exact molecular mechanisms that drive CIN in melanoma have yet to be fully elucidated.

Quality assessment of tissue specimens for studies of diabetic foot ulcers.

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) represent an important clinical problem resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. Ongoing translational research studies strive to better understand molecular/cellular basis of DFU pathology that may lead to identification of novel treatment protocols. Tissue at the non-healing wound edge has been identified as one of major contributors to the DFU pathophysiology that provides important tool for translational and clinical investigations.

Presentation of reticulate acropigmentation of kitamura and dowling-degos disease overlap.

The authors report a case of overlapping reticulate acropigmentation of Kitamura and Dowling-Degos disease seen in a 57-year-old woman. This is a unique presentation of two rare entities that some believe to be the same disease with variable phenotypic expression. This is an interesting case of reticulated pigmentation that unfortunately has limited treatment options.

A prospective pilot study of ultrasound therapy effectiveness in refractory venous leg ulcers.

Venous insufficiency is the most common cause of leg ulcers in the United States. Venous leg ulcers cost the health care system billions of dollars annually, and healing rates are less than 70% with standard of care; therefore, new therapies are needed to increase healing times and minimize associated costs. Non contact ultrasound therapy has been used to treat a variety of chronic wounds including venous leg ulcers, and it is thought that ultrasound has an effect on decreasing the bacterial count in wounds, although the exact mechanism of action of ultrasound is yet to be determined.

State of the art in topical wound-healing products.

Chronic wounds represent a significant medical burden. Such wounds fail to normally progress through the stages of healing, often complicated by a proinflammatory milieu caused by increased proteinases, hypoxia, and bacterial burden. As a result, several modalities, such as dressings, antimicrobials, growth factors, and human skin substitutes, have been devised in an attempt to correct the chronic wound environment.

New therapies for treatment of diabetic foot ulcers: a review of current clinical trials.

Diabetic foot ulcers are a common problem in clinical practice and one of the most common complications in diabetic patients, often leading to amputation and hospitalization. Although there are a number of options for coadjuvant therapy for diabetic foot ulcers, a considerable number of patients remain unhealed after 12 weeks of treatment and, in general, rates of healing remain low. For these reasons, as well as the rising costs of associated complications of nonhealing diabetic foot ulcers, there is an impetus for the research community to develop more sophisticated ways to manage this condition.

Refractory erythromelalgia of the ears: response to mexiletine.

Erythromelalgia is a rare condition characterized by burning pain, erythema, swelling, and increased temperature usually in the extremities. We present an unusual presentation of erythromelalgia of the ears in a patient who has been refractory to multiple therapies and in whom relief of symptoms was achieved with the use of mexiletine. A review of clinical presentation, pathophysiology, and therapeutic options are presented.