Improving Senescent Wound Healing With Local and Systemic Therapies.

The population is aging, and the prevalence of chronic wounds is increasing. Because neovascularization is essential for tissue repair and both local and systemic factors affect new blood vessel formation, we hypothesize that altering either pathway would reciprocally enhance wound healing in the aged. To test this hypothesis, p53 was locally suppressed and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) were systemically mobilized in a murine model of senescent wound healing.

Is Aesthetic Surgery Safe in the Solid Organ Transplant Patient? An International Survey and Review.

Background: Improved immunosuppression and lifespans have afforded solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients the opportunity to seek aesthetic surgery.

Objectives: To determine current trends in the provision of aesthetic in the SOT patient population, we polled the international plastic surgery community. We specifically sought to evaluate their experiences with this patient population, as well as to perform a review of the literature to provide updated guidelines for practitioners who may consider performing surgery in the SOT patient population.

Unilateral Craniofacial Microsomia: Unrecognized Cause of Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Bilateral craniofacial microsomia causes obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We hypothesize that unilateral craniofacial microsomia (UCFM) is an underappreciated cause of OSA. The records of all pediatric UCFM patients from 1990 to 2010 were reviewed; only complete records were included in the study.

Acellular dermal matrix-based gene therapy augments graft incorporation.

Background: Acellular dermal matrix (ADM) is widely used for structural or dermal replacement purposes. Given its innate biocompatibility and its potential to vascularize, we explored the possibility of ADM to function as a small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery system. Specifically, we sought to improve ADM vascularization by siRNA-mediated inhibition of prolyl hydroxylase domain-2 (PHD2), a cytoplasmic protein that regulates hypoxia inducible factor-1α, and improve neovascularization.