Dermatology News and Research

Latest Dermatology News and Research

No such thing as a 'safe' suntan

Three review papers from leading researchers in the fields of cell biology, dermatology and epidemiology have looked closely at the effects on skin of UV radiation, including that from indoor tanning beds.

18 Sep 2008

Sun-damaged skin does not improve with estrogen treatments

Treating the skin with estrogen can stimulate collagen production-which improves the appearance of the skin-in areas not typically exposed to the sun, according to new research from the University of Michigan Health System.

15 Sep 2008

Researchers discover key allergy gene

Together with colleagues from the Department of Dermatology and Allergy and the Center for Allergy and Environment (ZAUM) of the Technische Universitat Munchen, scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen have pinpointed a major gene for allergic diseases. The gene was localized using cutting edge technologies for examining the whole human genome at the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen.

24 Aug 2008

Skin odors used to detect basal cell carcinoma

According to new research from the Monell Center, odors from skin can be used to identify basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer. The findings, presented at the 236th meeting of the American Chemical Society, may open doors to development of new methods to detect basal cell carcinoma and other forms of skin cancer.

20 Aug 2008

Newly uncovered cells may be critical in psoriasis

Psoriasis, one of humanity's oldest known diseases, has also been one of its most misunderstood. But in a new study that could change researchers' perspective of the skin disorder and potentially lead to powerful new drug targets, Rockefeller University scientists have found that the source of psoriasis may be a single population of inflammatory cells that act as instigators by priming the body's immune system for self-attack.

20 Aug 2008

Moisturisers may increase the risk of skin cancer

In news that will make many women wonder and no doubt make some panic, scientists are now warning that the moisturisers used by millions every day may be increasing their risk of developing skin cancers.

18 Aug 2008

New understanding of how white blood cell eosiniphils fights infection

U.S. and Swiss scientists have made a breakthrough in understanding how a type of white blood cell called the eosinophil may help the body to fight bacterial infections in the digestive tract, according to research published online this week in Nature Medicine

13 Aug 2008

Tattoos - who gets rid of them and why

According to a new report women are far more likely than men to have a tattoo removed and the suggestion is that they are motivated to do so by the social stigma associated with tattoos and negative comments from others.

22 Jul 2008

Researchers find better way to distinguish melanoma from some benign moles

University of Rochester Medical Center researchers found a new protein produced excessively in malignant melanoma, a discovery that is particularly relevant as skin cancer rates climb dramatically among young women.

17 Jul 2008

Compound honokiol, from Magnolias blocks, elusive pathway for cancer growth

A natural compound from magnolia cones blocks a pathway for cancer growth that was previously considered "undruggable," researchers have found.

13 Jul 2008

UV light therapy is as beneficial for darker skin as lighter skin

An analysis of more than 100 patients has confirmed for the first time that darker-skinned patients benefit as those with lighter skin when given light therapy for morphea and related diseases, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers show.

8 Jul 2008

Quantum dot nanoparticles can penetrate skin through minor abrasions

Researchers at North Carolina State University have found that quantum dot nanoparticles can penetrate the skin if there is an abrasion, providing insight into potential workplace concerns for healthcare workers or individuals involved in the manufacturing of quantum dots or doing research on potential biomedical applications of the tiny nanoparticles.

2 Jul 2008

Melanomas "run" in families - CDKN2A gene reveals why

When people know the results of genetic tests confirming they have inherited an increased risk of developing melanoma, they follow skin cancer screening recommendations more proactively-much like those who have already been diagnosed with the potentially deadly disease, according to results of a study completed at the University of Utah's Huntsman Cancer Institute. and published in the June issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

17 Jun 2008

Massachusetts insurers to expand health plans with physician ranking system despite lawsuit

Two of Massachusetts' largest health insurers are expanding or launching health plans that feature physician ranking systems despite opposition to those systems by the Massachusetts Medical Society, the Boston Globe reports. Under such ranking systems, patients who seek care from a top-rated, or top-tiered, physician have lower copayments.

11 Jun 2008

Breakthrough in understanding tumor immune therapy

Researchers from the Tubingen University, Department of Dermatology, uncovered an entirely new understanding on how the immune system may control tumor development.

11 Jun 2008

U of M sets new standard of care for recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa

Physicians at the University of Minnesota and University of Minnesota Children's Hospital, Fairview have set the path to a cure for a young boy's fatal genetic skin disease, recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB), by using a cord blood and bone marrow transplant. Nate Liao, a 25-month-old from Clarksburg, N.J., underwent the experimental therapy in October 2007.

3 Jun 2008

Skinvisible granted patent in Australia for polymer delivery system

Skinvisible, Inc. the developers of Invisicare, a polymer delivery system that enhances topically applied products, has been granted a comprehensive patent in Australia.

3 Jun 2008

Why some treatments rescue aging skin

Fine wrinkles, deeper creases, saggy areas around the mouth and neck - the sights in the mirror that make baby boomers wince - are not inevitable. They result from a structural breakdown inside the skin that some existing treatments effectively counteract by stimulating the growth of new, youthful collagen, University of Michigan scientists say.

28 May 2008

New program promises to solve puzzling medical cases

A new research program in the U.S. promises to provide some answers for people suffering from mysterious diseases that have defied diagnosis.

21 May 2008

A loving partner can save your skin

Even couples that have been together for years may be embarrassed to let a spouse or partner see their less than perfect bodies naked in bright light. That shyness can hamper a couple's willingness to do total body skin exams on each other to check for a new or recurring melanoma. Melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, can appear in more than one spot so these checks are important.

20 May 2008