Safety and Efficacy of FIT039 for Verruca Vulgaris: A Placebo-Controlled, Phase I/II Randomized Controlled Trial.

Trial Design: Human papillomavirus infection causes verruca vulgaris. CDK9 inhibitor FIT039 inhibits DNA virus proliferation in animal models. We conducted a multicenter, single-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized phase I/II clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of FIT039 against verruca vulgaris.

A melanocyte--melanoma precursor niche in sweat glands of volar skin.

Determination of the niche for early-stage cancer remains a challenging issue. Melanoma is an aggressive cancer of the melanocyte lineage. Early melanoma cells are often found in the epidermis around sweat ducts of human volar skin, and the skin pigmentation pattern is an early diagnostic sign of acral melanoma.

Genotoxic stress abrogates renewal of melanocyte stem cells by triggering their differentiation.

Somatic stem cell depletion due to the accumulation of DNA damage has been implicated in the appearance of aging-related phenotypes. Hair graying, a typical sign of aging in mammals, is caused by the incomplete maintenance of melanocyte stem cells (MSCs) with age. Here, we report that irreparable DNA damage, as caused by ionizing radiation, abrogates renewal of MSCs in mice.