Engineered Skin Substitutes in Dermatologic Surgery: A Systematic Review.

Background: Artificial skin substitutes are a flexible alternative to autografting in Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS), but the characteristics and clinical outcomes of skin substitutes are not well defined.

Objective: Summarize clinical data of skin substitutes in MMS for cutaneous malignancy.

Methods: A MEDLINE/Embase/Web of Science search was conducted.

Local and Sustained Baricitinib Delivery to the Skin through Injectable Hydrogels Containing Reversible Thioimidate Adducts.

Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors are approved for many dermatologic disorders, but their use is limited by systemic toxicities including serious cardiovascular events and malignancy. To overcome these limitations, injectable hydrogels are engineered for the local and sustained delivery of baricitinib, a representative JAK inhibitor. Hydrogels are formed via disulfide crosslinking of thiolated hyaluronic acid macromers.

Cutaneous mantle cell lymphoma presenting as a diffuse morbilliform rash: A case report.

This case describes a patient with known mantle cell lymphoma without cutaneous involvement presenting with a diffuse morbilliform rash during an inpatient admission for bacterial pneumonia. The patient was thought to have a hypersensitivity to antibiotics but failed to improve after the offending agents were stopped. A skin biopsy revealed metastatic cutaneous mantle cell lymphoma.

Avelumab for Advanced Merkel Cell Carcinoma: Global Real-World Data on Patient Response and Survival.

Introduction: Avelumab is a programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitor approved by the Food and Drug Administration for advanced Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). Studies conducted in real-world settings have shed light on its effectiveness and safety in clinical settings.

Areas Covered: Real-world studies on avelumab for MCC from North and South America, Europe, and Asia have been presented in this review.

Cutaneous Oncology in the Immunosuppressed.

Patients with immunosuppressive conditions experience an increased frequency and severity of cutaneous malignancies. This article highlights management of keratinocyte carcinoma, melanoma, Merkel cell carcinoma, and Kaposi sarcoma in the setting of lymphoproliferative disorders, acquired immunodeficiencies, and organ transplantation. Advances in the safety of organ transplant recipient immunosuppression, early identification of risk factors, and new targeted therapies are improving skin cancer outcomes in immunocompromised populations.

Justified Suspicion: Symptomatic Syphilitic Alopecia in a Patient with Well-Controlled HIV.

Background: An estimated 25% of primary and secondary syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium , occurs in patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (Chesson et al., 2005). This association is especially evident in men who have sex with men (MSM).

Imaging of Injectable Hydrogels Delivered into Myocardium with SPECT/CT.

Injectable hydrogels are being widely explored for treatment after myocardial infarction (MI) through mechanical bulking or the delivery of therapeutics. Despite this interest, there have been few approaches to image hydrogels upon injection to identify their location, volume, and pattern of delivery, features that are important to understand toward clinical translation. Using a hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel as an example, the aim of this study is to introduce radiopacity to hydrogels by encapsulating a clinically used contrast agent (Omnipaque Iohexol, GE Healthcare) for imaging upon placement in the myocardium.

Comparison of C3d immunohistochemical staining to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunofluorescence for diagnosis of bullous pemphigoid.

Background: Bullous pemphigoid (BP), the most common autoimmune blistering disease, may be diagnostically challenging. Direct immunofluorescence (DIF), indirect immunofluorescence (IIF), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and recently, C3d immunohistochemistry (IHC), are used as adjuncts to diagnosis.

Objective: To compare C3d IHC to DIF, IIF, and ELISA testing in BP diagnosis.

Delayed delivery of endothelial progenitor cell-derived extracellular vesicles via shear thinning gel improves postinfarct hemodynamics.

Background: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are promising therapeutics for cardiovascular disease, but poorly-timed delivery might hinder efficacy. We characterized the time-dependent response to endothelial progenitor cell (EPC)-EVs within an injectable shear-thinning hydrogel (STG+EV) post-myocardial infarction (MI) to identify when an optimal response is achieved.

Methods: The angiogenic effects of prolonged hypoxia on cell response to EPC-EV therapy and EV uptake affinity were tested in vitro.

Timing of Onset of Adverse Cutaneous Reactions Associated With Programmed Cell Death Protein 1 Inhibitor Therapy.

Importance: An increasing number of cutaneous adverse reactions resulting from use of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitors have been described, but with relatively little focus to date on the timing of these reactions.

Objective: To determine the timing of cutaneous drug reactions after initiation of PD-1 inhibitor therapy.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This retrospective observational study included patients referred to an academic dermatology clinic by an oncologist from January 1, 2014, through February 28, 2018, with at least 1 skin biopsy specimen of a skin reaction associated with PD-1 inhibitor use.

Injectable and protease-degradable hydrogel for siRNA sequestration and triggered delivery to the heart.

Injectable hydrogels have significant therapeutic potential for treatment of myocardial infarction (MI) through tissue bulking and local drug delivery, including the delivery of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). As siRNA targets are identified as potential treatments for MI, hydrogels may bolster efficacy through local and sustained release. Here, we designed an injectable hydrogel to respond to local upregulation in proteolytic activity after MI to erode and release siRNA against MMP2 (siMMP2), a target implicated in deleterious remodeling.

Complications of Polydioxanone Foil Use in Nasal Surgery: A Case Series.

Polydioxanone (PDS) foil is widely recognized as a septal cartilage replacement during rhinoplasties and is thought to be completely resorbable and biodegradable. Since its United States Food and Drug Administration approval in 2010, PDS foil has drawn significant enthusiasm and many surgeons consider it an ideal implantable biomaterial as reflected in numerous studies highlighting its benefits. However, scant literature exists highlighting relevant complications of PDS plates that may potentially lead to cavalier overuse.

Sustained release of endothelial progenitor cell-derived extracellular vesicles from shear-thinning hydrogels improves angiogenesis and promotes function after myocardial infarction.

Aims: Previous studies have demonstrated improved cardiac function following myocardial infarction (MI) after administration of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) into ischaemic myocardium. A growing body of literature supports paracrine effectors, including extracellular vesicles (EVs), as the main mediators of the therapeutic benefits of EPCs. The direct use of paracrine factors is an attractive strategy that harnesses the effects of cell therapy without concerns of cell engraftment or viability.

Granuloma formation secondary to silicone injection for soft-tissue augmentation in facial cosmetics: Mechanisms and literature review.

The use of injectable fillers is increasingly popular as an alternative to surgery for facial cosmetic applications. In this regard, silicone is a versatile biomaterial filler that has been used for these purposes, but its use warrants further investigation, especially since it is not clinically approved for such uses. We describe the use of silicone as a facial injectable filler through a scholarly review of the literature for cases of silicone granuloma formation published from September 2007 through September 2017, and we present various contexts in which this complication has been observed.

Local and sustained miRNA delivery from an injectable hydrogel promotes cardiomyocyte proliferation and functional regeneration after ischemic injury.

MicroRNA-based therapies that target cardiomyocyte proliferation have great potential for the treatment of myocardial infarction (MI). In previous work, we showed that the miR-302/367 cluster regulates cardiomyocyte proliferation in the prenatal and postnatal heart. Here, we describe the development and application of an injectable hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel for the local and sustained delivery of miR-302 mimics to the heart.

Three-dimensional extrusion bioprinting of single- and double-network hydrogels containing dynamic covalent crosslinks.

The fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds is indispensable to tissue engineering and 3D printing is emerging as an important approach towards this. Hydrogels are often used as inks in extrusion-based 3D printing, including with encapsulated cells; however, numerous challenging requirements exist, including appropriate viscosity, the ability to stabilize after extrusion, and cytocompatibility. Here, we present a shear-thinning and self-healing hydrogel crosslinked through dynamic covalent chemistry for 3D bioprinting.

Methods To Assess Shear-Thinning Hydrogels for Application As Injectable Biomaterials.

Injectable hydrogels have gained popularity as a vehicle for the delivery of cells, growth factors, and other molecules to localize and improve their retention at the injection site, as well as for the mechanical bulking of tissues. However, there are many factors, such as viscosity, storage and loss moduli, and injection force, to consider when evaluating hydrogels for such applications. There are now numerous tools that can be used to quantitatively assess these factors, including for shear-thinning hydrogels because their properties change under mechanical load.