A Review of Petrol Burns in Australia and New Zealand.

Petrol-related thermal burns cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide and it has been established that they affect young males disproportionately. Beyond this, we sought to identify the difference in the characteristics and outcomes of burns between males and females in an international population. Such differences may highlight areas for future preventative strategies.

A systematic review of systematic review methodology in plastic surgery journals.

Introduction: Systematic reviews (SR) and meta-analyses (MA) are described as the top level of evidence in clinical research and are commonplace in plastic surgery literature. Their quality is limited both by the reliability of primary studies and the method of aggregating data. This study analysed the overall quality of SR's in plastic surgery and identified influencing factors.

Targeted Therapy Against the Cell of Origin in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), including cutaneous SCCs, are by far the most frequent cancers in humans, accounting for 80% of all newly diagnosed malignancies worldwide. The old dogma that SCC develops exclusively from stem cells (SC) has now changed to include progenitors, transit-amplifying and differentiated short-lived cells. Accumulation of specific oncogenic mutations is required to induce SCC from each cell population.

Loss of GRHL3 leads to TARC/CCL17-mediated keratinocyte proliferation in the epidermis.

Identifying soluble factors that influence epidermal integrity is critical for the development of preventative and therapeutic strategies for disorders such as ichthyosis, psoriasis, dermatitis and epidermal cancers. The transcription factor Grainyhead-like 3 (GRHL3) is essential for maintaining barrier integrity and preventing development of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC); however, how loss of this factor, which in the skin is expressed exclusively within suprabasal epidermal layers triggers proliferation of basal keratinocytes, had thus far remained elusive. Our present study identifies thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) as a novel soluble chemokine mediator of keratinocyte proliferation following loss of GRHL3.

A rare case of failed healing in previously burned skin after a secondary burns.

Background: Patients presenting with large surface area burns are common in our practice; however, patients with a secondary large burn on pre-existing burn scars and grafts are rare and not reported.

Case Presentation: We report on an unusual case of a patient sustaining a secondary large burn to areas previously injured by a burn from a different mechanism. We discuss the potential implications when managing a case like this and suggest potential biological reasons why the skin may behave differently.

Integrative genomic and functional analysis of human oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines reveals synergistic effects of FAT1 and CASP8 inactivation.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is genetically highly heterogeneous, which contributes to the challenges of treatment. To create an in vitro model that accurately reflects this heterogeneity, we generated a panel of HPV-negative OSCC cell lines. By whole exome sequencing of the lines and matched patient blood samples, we demonstrate that the mutational spectrum of the lines is representative of primary OSCC in The Cancer Genome Atlas.

The Role of Sonic Hedgehog in Craniofacial Patterning, Morphogenesis and Cranial Neural Crest Survival.

Craniofacial defects (CFD) are a significant healthcare problem worldwide. Understanding both the morphogenetic movements which underpin normal facial development, as well as the molecular factors which regulate these processes, forms the cornerstone of future diagnostic, and ultimately, preventative therapies. The soluble morphogen (), a vertebrate orthologue of Drosophila , is a key signalling factor in the regulation of craniofacial skeleton development in vertebrates, operating within numerous tissue types in the craniofacial primordia to spatiotemporally regulate the formation of the face and jaws.

Extending the use of the gracilis muscle flap in perineal reconstruction surgery.

Reconstruction of the perineum is required following oncological resections. Plastic surgical techniques can be used to restore the aesthetics and function of the perineum. The gracilis myocutaneous flap provides a substantial skin paddle, with minimal donor site morbidity.

A cellular model reflecting the phenotypic heterogeneity of mutant HRAS driven squamous cell carcinoma.

Squamous cell carcinomas have a range of histopathological manifestations. The parameters that determine this clinically observed heterogeneity are not fully understood. Here, we report the generation of a cell culture model that reflects part of this heterogeneity.

Use of 3D printed models in medical education: A randomized control trial comparing 3D prints versus cadaveric materials for learning external cardiac anatomy.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an emerging technology capable of readily producing accurate anatomical models, however, evidence for the use of 3D prints in medical education remains limited. A study was performed to assess their effectiveness against cadaveric materials for learning external cardiac anatomy. A double blind randomized controlled trial was undertaken on undergraduate medical students without prior formal cardiac anatomy teaching.

Rewiring of an epithelial differentiation factor, miR-203, to inhibit human squamous cell carcinoma metastasis.

Metastatic colonization of distant organs underpins the majority of human-cancer-related deaths, including deaths from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). We report that miR-203, a miRNA that triggers differentiation in multilayered epithelia, inhibits multiple postextravasation events during HNSCC lung metastasis. Inducible reactivation of miR-203 in already established lung metastases reduces the overall metastatic burden.

Sox2 modulates the function of two distinct cell lineages in mouse skin.

In postnatal skin the transcription factor Sox2 is expressed in the dermal papilla (DP) of guard/awl/auchene hair follicles and by mechanosensory Merkel cells in the touch domes of guard hairs. To investigate the consequences of Sox2 ablation in skin we deleted Sox2 in DP cells via Blimp1Cre and in Merkel cells via K14Cre. Loss of Sox2 from the DP did not inhibit hair follicle morphogenesis or establishment of the dermis and hypodermis.

FRMD4A upregulation in human squamous cell carcinoma promotes tumor growth and metastasis and is associated with poor prognosis.

New therapeutic strategies are needed to improve treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), an aggressive tumor with poor survival rates. FRMD4A is a human epidermal stem cell marker implicated previously in epithelial polarity that is upregulated in SCC cells. Here, we report that FRMD4A upregulation occurs in primary human HNSCCs where high expression levels correlate with increased risks of relapse.

Mimicking normal tissue architecture and perturbation in cancer with engineered micro-epidermis.

Correct tissue architecture is essential for normal physiology, yet there have been few attempts to recreate tissues using micro-patterning. We have used polymer brush micro-engineering to generate a stratified micro-epidermis with fewer than 10 human keratinocytes. Epidermal stem cells are captured on 100 μm diameter circular collagen-coated disks.

The effect of surgical resection in the region of the retromolar trigone.

Tumours in the mucosa of the retromolar trigone (RMT) are rare, but develop insidiously and spread rapidly into surrounding structures. Resection may require radical dissection beginning usually on the medial side of the mandible. Such surgery can put important structures at risk.

The functional intraoral Glasgow scale (FIGS) in retromolar trigone cancer patients.

Background: Surgical incisions in the retromolar trigone (RMT) cause injury to underlying structures. The functional intraoral Glasgow scale (FIGS) is used to determine the ability of patients to speak, chew and swallow. FIGS could be used to investigate whether there is a correlation between clinical tumour stage and the function of the oral cavity following surgery in the RMT.