Category: Dermatology

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Decoding Baby Eczema and Reassurance for Parents

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Photo by William Fortunato

For many South African parents, few things are more stressful than watching their baby’s delicate skin flare up with redness, dryness, or tiny itchy patches. Baby eczema, also called atopic dermatitis, affects up to 1 in 5 children worldwide – and while it’s common, it can leave parents feeling worried and overwhelmed.

But the good news is, with the right skincare routine, baby eczema is manageable. And no, it doesn’t mean your little one will always struggle with sensitive skin.

“Parents are often surprised to learn that baby eczema is not a sign that they’re doing something wrong,” says Karen Van Rensburg, spokesperson for Sanosan South Africa. “It’s a common skin condition linked to an underdeveloped skin barrier, and the key is to protect and strengthen that barrier with gentle care.”

Baby eczema usually shows up between two and six months of age. It can appear on the face, behind the ears, on the arms, legs, or even the chest. The skin becomes dry, red, itchy and, in some cases, scaly.

“Triggers vary,” explains Van Rensburg. “It could be heat, dry air, soaps with harsh ingredients, or even certain fabrics. Understanding what sparks your baby’s flare-ups is an important step in managing the condition.”

So what can parents do at home? Here are some dermatologist-approved tips:

1. Keep baths short and sweet
Stick to lukewarm water and limit bath time to 5–10 minutes. Avoid bubble baths and fragranced soaps.

2. Moisturise immediately after bathing
Lock in hydration by applying a fragrance-free, gentle moisturiser while your baby’s skin is still slightly damp.

3. Choose your products wisely
Opt for creams specifically designed for sensitive baby skin. Look for formulas enriched with natural oils, chamomile, or panthenol – like those found in Sanosan’s baby skincare range.

4. Watch the wardrobe
Dress your baby in soft, breathable cotton and avoid scratchy fabrics like wool. Always wash new clothes before wearing.

5. Spot and soothe flare-ups early
At the first sign of redness or irritation, apply a gentle, protective cream to calm the skin.

6. Don’t overheat the room
Babies with eczema are often sensitive to heat. Keep the nursery cool and use a humidifier if the air feels very dry.

7. See a healthcare professional when needed
If the rash is severe, infected, or your baby seems very uncomfortable, always seek medical advice.

“Parents sometimes think stronger products will ‘fix’ eczema faster,” says Van Rensburg. “But baby skin is incredibly delicate. Harsh ingredients strip away natural oils and make things worse. Gentle, consistent care is far more effective in the long run.”

Baby eczema can feel daunting, but with the right care and patience, most little ones outgrow it as their skin barrier matures. In the meantime, gentle skincare, lots of cuddles, and a watchful eye on triggers can make the world of difference.

“Think of it as supporting your baby’s skin while it learns to protect itself,” Van Rensburg adds. “You’re not just treating eczema – you’re helping build a healthy foundation for life.”

Sanosan focuses on natural ingredients and gentle formulas for healthy skin. Using active ingredients specially tailored to your baby’s skin, natural milk protein is the central ingredient in Sanosan and is especially nourishing. More than 90 % of the ingredients are of natural origin such as organic olive oil, and the formulations are biodegradable.

Safety first: all products are clinically tested and are free from parabens, silicones, paraffins, SLS / SLES and phenoxyethanol. For more info visit sanosan.co.za

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A Hidden Risk Behind a Common Hair Loss Drug

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Photo by Brett Sayles on Unsplash

For over two decades, finasteride – a prescription drug taken by millions of men to treat hair loss – has carried troubling signals of deeper harm: depression, anxiety, and in some cases, suicide.

A new review by Prof Mayer Brezis of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem argues that the medical and regulatory community failed the public by repeatedly overlooking evidence of finasteride’s potentially psychiatric effects.

The review, published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, compiles data from eight major studies conducted between 2017 and 2023, showing a consistent pattern: users of finasteride were significantly more likely to experience mood disorders and suicidal thoughts than those not taking the drug. Findings come from multiple countries and data systems, including the US FDA, as well as national health records in Sweden, Canada, and Israel.

“The evidence is no longer anecdotal,” said Prof. Brezis, professor emeritus of medicine and public health. “We now see consistent patterns across diverse populations. And the consequences may have been tragic.”

According to the paper, hundreds of thousands of people may have suffered from depression related to finasteride, and hundreds – possibly more – may have died by suicide. 

A Delayed Response, With a High Cost

While the FDA acknowledged depression as a potential side effect in 2011 and added suicidality in 2022, concerns had already been raised as early as 2002. Internal FDA documents from 2010, cited in Prof Brezis’ paper, reveal large portions blacked out as “confidential” – including estimates of how many users could have been affected.

By 2011, the FDA had recorded just 18 suicides linked to finasteride. Based on global usage, he argues, the number should have been ranged in the thousands. “It wasn’t just underreporting,” he wrote. “It was a systemic failure of pharmacovigilance.”

Unlike weight-loss or psychiatric medications, which receive intense post-marketing scrutiny, finasteride’s “cosmetic” status may have shielded it from investigation. Notably, none of the studies cited in Brezis’ review were initiated by Merck, the original manufacturer, or requested by regulators.

A Cosmetic Drug With Life-Altering Risks

Finasteride works by blocking the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). In the process, it may also disrupt neurosteroids like allopregnanolone, which are linked to mood regulation in the brain. Animal studies show long-term effects on neuroinflammation and even structural changes in the hippocampus.

For some patients, the harm does not end when the drug is stopped. Reports of “post-finasteride syndrome” describe lingering symptoms – insomnia, panic attacks, cognitive dysfunction, and suicidal thoughts – that persist months or years after discontinuation.

Regulatory Gaps and Corporate Silence

The report is particularly critical of the FDA and Merck. Despite having access to millions of patient records, neither acted in time. Brezis suggests that industry silence was strategic, motivated by market pressures and legal liability -echoing past controversies like Merck’s handling of Vioxx.

“Nothing is more important to Organon than the safety of our medicines,” the company recently stated. Yet none of the safety studies cited were initiated by the manufacturer.

The FDA, meanwhile, took five years to respond to a citizen petition calling for a black-box warning. Its final decision was to add suicidal ideation to the label – but not as a formal warning.

What Now?

Brezis is calling for immediate changes in how drugs like finasteride are approved, monitored, and prescribed. His recommendations include:

  • Suspending marketing of the drug for cosmetic purposes until safety is re-established.
  • Rquiring mandatory post-approval studies with strict enforcement.
  • Systematically recording drug histories in suicide investigations.

For many patients, those reforms will come too late.

The paper, “Failing Public Health Again? Analytical Review of Depression and Suicidality from Finasteride” was published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry and is available here. 

Source: Hebrew University of Jerusalem

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The True Burden of Eczema Goes Beyond the Itch

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World Atopic Eczema Day 2025 calls for early intervention, better care, and greater awareness of the hidden toll of atopic dermatitis.

Photo By: Kaboompics.com

On 14 September, people around the world marked World Atopic Eczema Day 2025 under the theme: “Our Skin, Our Journey.” This year’s campaign highlights the lifelong nature of atopic eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis (AD), a disease that usually begins in infancy and can progress to food allergies, asthma and allergic rhinitis.1

“Atopic eczema is more than a skin condition, it is driven by a dysregulated immune system and may have long-term physical and psychological impacts, and creates significant costs for families and healthcare systems,” says Dr Dwayne Koot, pharmacologist and Medical Advisor at Sanofi South Africa.

A disease that begins early

Atopic eczema is one of the most common chronic inflammatory skin diseases, affecting up to 20 percent of children globally.1 It often appears early in life. Around 45 percent of children with atopic eczema develop symptoms before six months of age, 60 percent before one year, and up to 85 percent before five years.1 For many, atopic eczema is the first step in what researchers call the “atopic march,” the progression from skin barrier dysfunction to food allergies and respiratory diseases.2

Studies show that infants with atopic eczema are six times more likely to develop egg allergy and eleven times more likely to develop peanut allergy than infants without atopic eczema.3 By later childhood, as many as 40 percent of children with atopic eczema develop food allergies.2 The condition does not stop there. School-age children with early, persistent atopic eczema face higher risks of developing asthma and allergic rhinitis.4

Beyond the skin

Atopic eczema is now recognised as a systemic disease linked to type 2 inflammation.1 The hallmark symptoms are itching, dry and inflamed skin, recurrent infections and disturbed sleep. These symptoms are not only uncomfortable but also disruptive to daily life.2,5

“Children may struggle at school due to fatigue, and parents often miss work or are unproductive due to sleepless nights, medical appointments or caring for their sick child,” says Dr Koot. “Because atopic eczema is so visible, children often face stigma. Studies show they are more likely to experience anxiety, depression and bullying. Up to one in three children with atopic eczema have anxiety or depression, compared with far fewer children without the disease.”

The economic impact is significant. In South Africa, while direct healthcare costs are relatively low (0,2 percent of healthcare spend), the total burden may be substantial when adding the much higher indirect costs and quality-of-life impacts.6

Why early intervention matters

While research is ongoing, one study found that daily use of emollients from birth to protect the skin barrier may lower the risk of eczema by half for high-risk infants, with no safety concerns.7

Additional research shows that the skin barrier is key in both atopic eczema and food allergies and protecting it early in life may help prevent these conditions.3 While allergen avoidance is still the main approach, new options like immunotherapy and biologics are showing promise.3

Recent findings emphasize that taking early, proactive action with advanced treatments can dramatically improve outcomes for patients, potentially changing the very course of this chronic skin condition.8,9

Traditionally, atopic eczema management has focused on treating symptoms as they arise, especially with topical creams for milder cases.8 However, a deeper understanding of the disease and the development of novel systemic treatments – medications that work throughout the body – reveal a powerful opportunity to intervene much earlier.8 This forward-thinking strategy moves beyond simply reacting to flare-ups; it aims to target the underlying immune imbalance and inflammation that drive eczema from its earliest stages.8

One of the most significant benefits of this early approach is its potential to halt the “atopic march”.9 This refers to the common progression where atopic eczema, often appearing first in infancy or childhood, is followed by other allergic conditions such as food allergies, allergic rhinitis, or asthma.9 By addressing the skin barrier dysfunction and immune system changes early on, we may be able to prevent or reduce the development of these related allergies.9 Studies suggest that allergic sensitization can occur through an impaired skin barrier, and early treatment of this dysfunction could serve as a preventive strategy for food allergy progression.9

Furthermore, early intervention is key to breaking the relentless “itch-scratch cycle”.8 Chronic itching, a hallmark of atopic eczema, not only causes immense discomfort but also leads to skin damage and secondary complications like infections. 8 By addressing the root causes of itching, patients can experience comprehensive relief, regain normalcy, and significantly improve their overall quality of life, sleep, and mental well-being by reducing anxiety, depression, and social isolation associated with the disease.8

This proactive strategy also offers the promise of long-term disease control and modification.8 By tackling inflammation before visible skin lesions fully develop, it can inhibit the escalation of inflammatory responses and disrupt the recurring cycles of flares and remissions.8  

“The paradigm shift towards early systemic intervention represents a pivotal moment in atopic eczema care,” says Dr. Koot. “It’s about empowering patients with strategies that offer not just immediate relief, but also the potential for sustained positive outcomes and a better quality of life by addressing the disease at its inception, rather than solely managing its symptoms after they become severe.”

Working together

“World Atopic Eczema Day 2025 is a call to action,” says Dr Koot. “Doctors need to see atopic eczema as a systemic disease that needs more than just symptom relief. Policymakers need to support early treatment, better access to specialist care, affordable medicines, and stronger investment in research and innovation. Families and patient groups play a key role in showing the true impact of atopic eczema and pushing for advanced, targeted therapies.”

The campaign also recognises the importance of community. Social media initiatives such as #AtopicEczemaJourney give patients and families a space to share their stories, connect with others and draw attention to the reality of living with atopic eczema.

“Progress is possible, but it requires commitment from everyone,” says Dr Koot. “Research shows that simple measures, such as protecting infant skin with frequent use of emollients and avoiding triggers, can drastically improve control of atopic eczema. Public health strategies, better access to care, early intervention and investment in new treatments all make a difference. At the same time, society needs to understand that atopic eczema is not only about rashes or itching. It is a systemic, lifelong condition that affects education, careers, relationships and quality of life.”

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“Skin in a Syringe” a Step Towards a New Way to Heal Burns

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Researchers in fields such as regenerative medicine and materials science have collaborated to develop a gel containing living cells that can be 3D-printed into a transplant. Photographer: Magnus Johansson

Finding a way to replicate the skin’s complicated dermis layer has long been a goal of healing burn wounds, as it would greatly reduce scarring and restore functionality. Researchers at Linköping University have developed a gel containing living cells that can be 3D-printed onto a transplant, which then sticks to the wound and creates a scaffold for the dermis to grow.

Large burns are often treated by transplanting a thin layer of the top part of the skin, the epidermis, which is basically composed of a single cell type. Transplanting only this part of the skin leads to severe scarring.

“Skin in a syringe”

Beneath the epidermis is the dermis, which has the blood vessels, nerves, hair follicles and other structures necessary for skin function and elasticity. However, transplanting also the dermis is rarely an option, as the procedure leaves a wound as large as the wound to be healed. The trick is to create new skin that does not become scar tissue but a functioning dermis.

“The dermis is so complicated that we can’t grow it in a lab. We don’t even know what all its components are. That’s why we, and many others, think that we could possibly transplant the building blocks and then let the body make the dermis itself,” says Johan Junker, researcher at the Swedish Center for Disaster Medicine and Traumatology and docent in plastic surgery at Linköping University, who led the study published in Advanced Healthcare Materials.

The most common cell type in the dermis, the connective tissue cell or fibroblast, is easy to remove from the body and grow in a lab. The connective tissue cell also has the advantage of being able to develop into more specialised cell types depending on what is needed. The researchers behind the study provide a scaffold by having the cells grow on tiny, porous beads of gelatine, a substance similar to skin collagen. But a liquid containing these beads poured on a wound will not stay there.

The researchers’ solution to the problem is mixing the gelatine beads with a gel consisting of another body-specific substance, hyaluronic acid. When the beads and gel are mixed, they are connected using what is known as click chemistry. The result is a gel that, somewhat simplified, can be called skin in a syringe.

“The gel has a special feature that means that it becomes liquid when exposed to light pressure. You can use a syringe to apply it to a wound, for example, and once applied it becomes gel-like again. This also makes it possible to 3D print the gel with the cells in it,” says Daniel Aili, professor of molecular physics at Linköping University, who led the study together with Johan Junker.

3D-printed transplant

In the current study, the researchers 3D-printed small pucks that were placed under the skin of mice. The results point to the potential of this technology to be used to grow the patient’s own cells from a minimal skin biopsy, which are then 3D-printed into a graft and applied to the wound.

“We see that the cells survive and it’s clear that they produce different substances that are needed to create new dermis. In addition, blood vessels are formed in the grafts, which is important for the tissue to survive in the body. We find this material very promising,” says Johan Junker.

Blood vessels are key to a variety of applications for engineered tissue-like materials. Scientists can grow cells in three-dimensional materials that can be used to build organoids. But there is a bottleneck as concerns these tissue models; they lack blood vessels to transport oxygen and nutrients to the cells. This means that there is a limit to how large the structures can get before the cells at the centre die from oxygen and nutrient deficiency.

Step towards labgrown blood vessels

The LiU researchers may be one step closer to solving the problem of blood vessel supply. In another article, also published in Advanced Healthcare Materials, the researchers describe a method for making threads from materials consisting of 98 per cent water, known as hydrogels.

“The hydrogel threads become quite elastic, so we can tie knots on them. We also show that they can be formed into mini-tubes, which we can pump fluid through or have blood vessel cells grow in,” says Daniel Aili.

The mini-tubes, or the perfusable channels as the researchers also call them, open up new possibilities for the development of blood vessels for eg, organoids.

Source: Linköping University

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Healthy Habits, Better Hair: How Lifestyle Choices Impact Hair Restoration

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Dr Kashmal Kalan urges patients to prioritise health before surgery – and offers hope to those recovering from illness

Hair loss is often viewed as a cosmetic concern, but emerging clinical insights confirm what many medical professionals have long understood: overall health is one of the most significant contributors to hair loss, and a crucial factor in whether hair restoration procedures succeed.

According to Dr Kashmal Kalan, Medical Director at Alvi Armani South Africa, chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol are closely linked to diffuse hair thinning, particularly when left undiagnosed or poorly managed.

“These conditions disrupt blood flow, create oxidative stress, and limit nutrient supply to the hair follicles. That directly affects hair growth and viability, especially in patients with a genetic predisposition to balding.”

While pattern baldness is widely understood, lifestyle factors are often overlooked until the condition becomes advanced. “People are often surprised to learn that their smoking, alcohol use, stress levels, or even recreational drug use may be accelerating their hair loss or interfering with their recovery.”

In fact, undisclosed drug use can compromise not only natural regrowth but also post-surgical outcomes. “We’ve seen poor graft uptake and higher complication rates in these cases. That’s why our pre-surgical assessments are so thorough. We need full transparency to ensure patient safety and the best possible results.”

Hair restoration is a medical procedure, not a cosmetic quick fix – and a patient’s internal health matters just as much as surgical precision. At Alvi Armani South Africa, all patients undergo full blood work and health screening before being approved for surgery.

“This is vital not only for safety, but often for diagnosis. Hair loss can sometimes be the first visible symptom of an underlying condition. Through our screenings, we’ve detected cases of unmanaged diabetes, hypertension, and even early autoimmune markers.” 

Even once cleared for surgery, long-term success requires commitment from both doctor and patient. “The patient’s role is just as important as the surgeon’s. They need to maintain their health so the body can heal and support strong, sustainable regrowth.”

 In July, Alvi Armani South Africa announced a partnership with the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), offering free consultations and personalised advice to cancer survivors – many of whom face permanent scarring or delayed hair regrowth after treatment.

 “Hair loss after cancer goes far deeper than appearance,” he notes. “It impacts confidence, identity, and how survivors re-enter everyday life. The good news for survivors is that minimally invasive Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) techniques can provide an effective pathway to emotional and physical restoration – but only when the body is ready.”

 For those in earlier stages of hair loss, early intervention is key. “If the cause is lifestyle-related, healthier habits can help. If it’s genetic, medications or non-surgical treatments may stabilise the loss, sometimes delaying or even eliminating the need for surgery. But ultimately, it’s simple: healthy hair starts with a healthy body.

 “We can deliver technically flawless procedures, but healing still depends on the patient. When people approach hair restoration with the same seriousness as any other medical treatment, the results – and their overall wellbeing – are far better,” concludes Dr Kalan.

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Restricting a Certain Amino Acid Could Potentially Speed up Wound Healing

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Immunofluorescent microscopy shows hair follicles in the early stages of hair regrowth. (Fuchs Lab)

The skin has two types of adult stem cells: epidermal and hair follicle. Their jobs seem pretty well-defined: maintain the skin, or maintain hair growth. But as research from Rockefeller University has shown, hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) can switch teams, pitching in to heal the skin when it receives an injury. How do these cells know it’s time to pivot?

The lab behind those original findings has now identified a key signal telling HFSCs when to drop the hair cycle and pick up the skin repair: an integrated stress response (ISR) that directs stem cells to conserve energy for essential tasks.

In the skin, nutrient deficits are sensed by a non-essential amino acid known as serine that’s found in common foods such as meat, grains, and milk. As they demonstrate in a recent study in Cell Metabolism, when serine levels drop, the ISR is activated, causing HFSCs to slow hair production. If the skin is injured on top of nutrient deficits, the ISR is elevated even more, halting hair production and funnelling efforts towards skin repair. This reprioritisation accelerates the healing process.

“Serine deprivation triggers a highly sensitive cellular ‘dial’ that fine tunes the cell’s fate – towards skin and away from hair,” says first author Jesse Novak, former PhD student at Rockefeller’s Robin Chemers Neustein Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Biology and Development, led by Elaine Fuchs. “Our findings suggest that we might be able to speed up the healing of skin wounds by manipulating serine levels through diet or medications.”

Hair stem cells’ second job

Adult tissues harbour stem cell pools that tightly balance cell proliferation, differentiation, and turnover to maintain homeostasis, or normal functioning, and repair wounds. But their metabolic needs remain poorly understood. For the current study, Novak aimed to identify the metabolic factors that keep stem cells humming along during everyday operations – then, track what changes when an injury forces HFSCs to moonlight in wound recovery.

“Most skin wounds that we get are from abrasions, which destroy the upper part of the skin. That area is home to a pool of stem cells that normally takes charge in wound repair. But when these cells are destroyed, it forces hair follicle stem cells to take the lead in repair,” Novak says. “Knowing that, we thought that tracking these skin cells through wound healing presented a very good model for testing if and how metabolites are regulating this process overall.”

Previous findings from the Fuchs lab indicated that pre-cancerous skin stem cells become addicted to serine circulating in the body, and that these cells can be prevented from turning fully cancerous by restricting serine in the diet. These findings demonstrated that the metabolite is a key regulator of tumour formation and inspired trials to implement serine-free diets as cancer treatments. But no one understood how dietary serine deprivation would affect normal tissue functioning. So Novak focused on this amino acid for his studies.

Findings

The team subjected the hair follicle stem cells to a series of metabolic stress tests by either depriving them of serine in their diet or using genetic tricks in mice to selectively prevent hair follicle stem cells from making serine. They found that serine is in direct and constant communication with the ISR, a trigger activated when tissue conditions go off balance. When the serine tank is low, HFSCs tune down hair growth, which requires substantial energy.

Turning to another stress challenge, the team then focused on wound repair. They discovered that the ISR also activates in HFSCs after injury. Moreover, when mice experience both serine deficiency and injury, the pendulum swings even further, suppressing hair regeneration and favoring wound repair. In this way, the ISR measures overall tissue stress levels and prioritizes regenerative tasks accordingly.

“No one likes to lose hair, but when it comes down to survival in stressful times, repairing the epidermis takes precedence,” says Fuchs. “A missing patch of hair isn’t a threat to an animal, but an unhealed wound is.”

Serine’s effect does not go both ways

It was clear that low levels of serine had a significant impact on stem cell fate and behaviour. But what about the opposite? Could a large dose of serine supercharge hair growth, for example?

Unfortunately for anyone who suffers from hair loss, it turns out that the body tightly regulates the amount of serine in circulation. When Novak fed mice six times the amount of serine than normal, their serine levels only rose 50%.

“However, we did see that if we prevented a stem cell from making its own serine and replenished its losses through a high-serine diet, we were able to partially rescue hair regeneration,” Novak adds.

Next on the horizon is exploring the potential to speed up wound healing through reducing dietary serine or via medications that affect serine levels or ISR activity. The team also wants to test other amino acids to find out whether serine is unique in its influence. “Overall, the ability of stem cells to make cell fate decisions based upon the levels of stress they experience is likely to have broad implications for how tissues optimise their regenerative capacities in times where resources are scarce,” says Fuchs.

Source: The Rockefeller University

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Preclinical Study Unlocks a Mystery of Rapid Mouth Healing

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Photo by The Creative Exchange on Unsplash

Your mouth is a magician. Bite the inside of your cheek, and the wound may vanish without a trace in a couple of days. A preclinical study co-led by Cedars-Sinai, Stanford Medicine and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), has discovered one secret of this disappearing act. The findings, if confirmed in humans, could one day lead to treatments that enable rapid, scarless recovery from skin wounds on other parts of the body.

The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Translational Medicine.

“Our research began with two questions: Why does your mouth heal so much better than your skin?” said Ophir Klein MD, PhD, co-corresponding author of the study. “And if we figure that out, can we use that information therapeutically?”

The need for therapies is clear. Wounds to the lining of the mouth typically disappear in one to three days. But skin wounds may take nearly three times as long to heal and can leave unsightly scars.

“Unfortunately, current treatments do not adequately resolve or prevent scarring because we do not fully understand the mechanism,” Klein said. “Our research helps fill in that knowledge gap.”

In the study, investigators analysed tissue samples from the lining of the mouth, known as the oral mucosa, and the facial skin of laboratory mice. In the oral mucosa, they found a signaling pathway between cells, involving a protein called GAS6 and an enzyme called AXL, which blocks a different cellular pathway, known as FAK, that promotes scarring.

When the investigators inhibited the AXL enzyme in the laboratory mice, the oral mucosa wounds’ healing worsened, making them more like skin wounds. When AXL was stimulated in the skin wounds, they healed much like oral mucosa wounds, regenerating tissue more efficiently.

“This data shows that the GAS6-AXL pathway is potentially important for scarless healing in the mouth and that manipulating it may help reduce skin scars as well,” Klein said.

The next steps are to determine how these preclinical findings apply to humans and to develop therapies to improve healing of skin wounds, according to Michael Longaker, MD, Professor in the School of Medicine at Stanford University, and the study’s co-corresponding author.

“Further clinical studies should be performed to assess the nature of the relationship between AXL and scarring in humans,” Longaker said.

Source: Cedars Sinai

Categories : Dermatology Diet and NutritionTags :

Vitamin C Rekindles Skin’s ‘Youth Genes’, Reversing Age-related Thinning

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As we age, our skin naturally becomes thinner and more fragile due to a decline in cell production. Now, researchers have found that vitamin C (VC) can help counteract this ageing process. Using a 3D human skin model, they showed that VC boosts epidermal thickness by activating genes linked to cell growth through DNA demethylation. These findings suggest that VC may help prevent age-related skin thinning and support healthier, stronger skin in ageing individuals.

With age, the epidermis, the outermost layer of skin, gradually becomes thinner and loses its protective strength. About 90% of the cells in this layer are keratinocytes, which originate from deeper layers of the epidermis and migrate upward, ultimately forming the skin’s protective barrier. To combat ageing’s impact on skin, numerous studies have emphasised the benefits of vitamin C (VC), a vitamin well known for its role in skin health and antioxidant properties.

Now, researchers in Japan have discovered that VC helps thicken the skin by directly activating genes that control skin cell growth and development. Their findings, published online in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology on April 20, 2025, suggest that VC may restore skin function by reactivating genes essential for epidermal renewal.

This study was led by Dr Akihito Ishigami, Vice President of the Division of Biology and Medical Sciences at Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Geriatrics and Gerontology (TMIG), Japan

“VC seems to influence the structure and function of epidermis, especially by controlling the growth of epidermal cells. In this study, we investigated whether it promotes cell proliferation and differentiation via epigenetic changes,” explains Dr Ishigami.

To investigate how VC affects skin regeneration, the team used human epidermal equivalents, which are laboratory-grown models that closely mimic real human skin. In this model, skin cells are exposed to air on the surface while being nourished from underneath by a liquid nutrient medium, replicating the way human skin receives nutrients from underlying blood vessels while remaining exposed to the external environment.

The researchers used this model and applied VC at 1.0 and 0.1mM – concentrations comparable to those typically transported from the bloodstream into the epidermis. On assessing its effect, they found that VC-treated skin showed a thicker epidermal cell layer without significantly affecting the stratum corneum (the outer layer composed of dead cells) on day seven. By day 14, the inner layer was even thicker, and the outer layer was found to be thinner, suggesting that VC promotes the formation and division of keratinocytes. Samples treated with VC showed increased cell proliferation, demonstrated by a higher number of Ki-67-positive cells – a protein marker present in the nucleus of actively dividing cells.

Importantly, the study revealed that VC helps skin cells grow by reactivating genes associated with cell proliferation. It does so by promoting the removal of methyl groups from DNA, in a process known as DNA demethylation. When DNA is methylated, methyl groups attach to cytosine bases, which can prevent the DNA from being transcribed or read, thereby suppressing gene activity. Conversely, by promoting DNA demethylation, VC promotes gene expression and helps cells to grow, multiply, and differentiate.

These findings reveal how VC promotes skin renewal by triggering genetic pathways involved in growth and repair. This suggests that VC may be particularly helpful for older adults or those with damaged or thinning skin, boosting the skin’s natural capacity to regenerate and strengthen itself.

“We found that VC helps thicken the skin by encouraging keratinocyte proliferation through DNA demethylation, making it a promising treatment for thinning skin, especially in older adults,” concludes Dr Ishigami.

Source: Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Geriatrics and Gerontology

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Long-Term Atopic Dermatitis Treatment Benefits Patients with Delayed Response

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Atopic dermatitis in a young patient. Source: NIH

New research from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai reveals that patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (eczema) who did not initially respond to biologic treatment may still achieve significant clinical improvements with continued therapy.  

The findings, published in the latest issue of Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD), highlight the efficacy of extended lebrikizumab treatment up to 52 weeks and pave the way for more personalised, patient-centred approaches to managing this chronic skin condition. 

Lebrikizumab is designed to treat moderate-to-severe eczema by targeting a key source of inflammation in the body. It works by blocking interleukin-13 (IL-13), a protein that plays a central role in the itching, redness, and skin damage seen in atopic dermatitis. 

“This is a significant breakthrough because it shows that people who do not respond to lebrikizumab treatment right away should not give up,” says lead author Professor Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD, PhD, at Mount Sinai. “Initial non-response at 16 weeks does not mean treatment failure. By sticking with treatment longer (52 weeks), most patients saw their eczema improve significantly.” 

Researchers analysed data from two international clinical trials. At 16 weeks, 38.1% of lebrikizumab-treated patients failed to meet strict trial criteria for response. However, 58.1% had already achieved at least a 50% improvement in their Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) scores. By 52 weeks, 75.5% had reached a 75% improvement (EASI 75), 44.2% had achieved a 90% improvement (EASI 90), and 66.4% reported a significant reduction in itching. 

“This research supports a more personalised approach to care,” Dr. Guttman-Yassky says. “It offers new hope for patients with difficult-to-treat eczema and may help guide treatment decisions in clinical practice.” 

Source: Mount Sinai Hospital

Categories : Allergies DermatologyTags :

Can Early Exposure to Dogs Lessen Genetic Susceptibility to Eczema?

On By ModernMedia
Photo by Pauline Loroy on Unsplash

New research published in Allergy indicates that certain environmental exposures may affect a child’s risk of developing atopic eczema, a condition characterised by dry, itchy, and inflamed skin. In other words, although some people may be genetically predisposed to eczema, certain environmental factors may increase or decrease that risk.

For the study, investigators analysed data from 16 European studies to test for interactions between the 24 most significant eczema-associated genetic variants and 18 early-life environmental factors. They applied their findings to an additional 10 studies and used lab modelling tests to assess their results.

The first analysis (including 25 339 individuals) showed suggestive evidence for interaction between 7 environmental factors (antibiotic use, cat ownership, dog ownership, breastfeeding, elder sibling, smoking, and washing practices) and at least one established genetic variant for eczema, with 14 interactions in total.

In the additional analysis (254 532 individuals), dog exposure interacted with a particular genetic risk variant on chromosome 5, near the gene that codes for the interleukin-7 receptor, a protein involved in immune cell function. Lab modelling tests showed that this variant affects expression of interleukin-7 receptor in human skin cells and that dog exposure modifies the genetic effect of this variant on the development of eczema, essentially providing a protective effect by suppressing skin inflammation.

Additional studies are needed to explore these lab findings and the other potential interactions identified in the first analysis.

“Our research aims to answer some of the most difficult questions that I am asked in clinic: ‘Why does my child have eczema?’ and ‘What can I do to help protect my baby?’ We know that genetic make-up affects a child’s risk of developing eczema and previous studies have shown that owning a pet dog may be protective, but this is the first study to show how this may occur at a molecular level,” said corresponding author Sara J. Brown, MD, PhD, FRCPE, of the University of Edinburgh. “More work is needed, but our findings mean we have a chance to intervene in the rise of allergic disease, to protect future generations.”

Source: Wiley