Publications by authors named "Laura E Proudfoot"

Chronic wounds present a major disease burden in people with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB), an inherited blistering skin disorder caused by mutations in COL7A1 encoding type VII collagen, the major component of anchoring fibrils at the dermal-epidermal junction. Treatment of RDEB wounds is mostly symptomatic, and there is considerable unmet need in trying to improve and accelerate wound healing. In this study, we defined transcriptomic profiles and gene pathways in RDEB wounds and compared these to intact skin in RDEB and healthy control subjects.

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Grainyhead-like 2, encoded by GRHL2, is a member of a highly conserved family of transcription factors that play essential roles during epithelial development. Haploinsufficiency for GRHL2 has been implicated in autosomal-dominant deafness, but mutations have not yet been associated with any skin pathology. We investigated two unrelated Kuwaiti families in which a total of six individuals have had lifelong ectodermal defects.

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Article Synopsis
  • Aberrant EGFR signaling plays a crucial role in maintaining tissue health, and its disruption is linked to inflammatory and cancerous conditions, though no inherited EGFR defects had been documented until this case.
  • A unique mutation (p.Gly428Asp) in EGFR was found in a male infant who faced severe, lifelong inflammation affecting his skin, bowel, and lungs, leading to notable skin lesions similar to those from EGFR inhibitor treatments.
  • The child's diagnosis revealed altered EGFR function and signaling in his skin cells, and despite efforts to understand and address his condition, he tragically died at 2.5 years due to complications from infections and electrolyte imbalances.
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A key function of human skin is the formation of a structural barrier against the external environment. In part, this is achieved through the formation of a cornified cell envelope derived from a stratified squamous epithelium attached to an epithelial basement membrane. Resilient in health, the structural integrity of skin can become impaired or break down in a collection of inherited skin diseases, referred to as the blistering genodermatoses.

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Kerion celsi is the inflammatory extreme of tinea capitis, representing a delayed hypersensitivity reaction to the causative dermatophyte. Some authors have advocated the use of oral corticosteroids in patients with kerion formation to inhibit the host inflammatory response and minimize the risk of scarring. This retrospective study analyzed the management and outcome of all children younger than 10 years old presenting to our pediatric dermatology service with tinea capitis resulting in kerion formation between 2003 and 2009.

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