ScienceDaily: Skin Care News

Skin cancer may be linked to lower risk of Alzheimer's disease

Wed, 15 May 2013 16:39:39 EDT

People who have skin cancer may be less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, according to new research. The link does not apply to melanoma, a less common but more aggressive type of skin cancer.

Immune cells that suppress genital herpes infections identified

Wed, 08 May 2013 13:17:17 EDT

Scientists have identified a class of immune cells that reside long-term in the genital skin and mucosa and are believed to be responsible for suppressing recurring outbreaks of genital herpes. These immune cells also play a role in suppressing symptoms of genital herpes, which is why most sufferers of the disease are asymptomatic when viral reactivations occur. The discovery of this subtype of immune cells, called CD8αα+ T cells, opens a new avenue of research to develop a vaccine to prevent and treat herpes simplex virus type 2, or HSV-2. Identifying these T cells’ specific molecular targets, called epitopes, is the next step in developing a vaccine.

Sunshine could benefit health and prolong life, study suggests

Tue, 07 May 2013 19:58:58 EDT

Exposing skin to sunlight may help to reduce blood pressure, cut the risk of heart attack and stroke -- and even prolong life, a study suggests.

New class of drug targets skin cancer

Tue, 07 May 2013 09:58:58 EDT

A new class of drug targeting skin cancer's genetic material has been successfully tested in humans for the first time, opening the way to new treatments for a range of conditions from skin cancers to eye diseases.

Gray hair and vitiligo reversed at the root

Fri, 03 May 2013 13:29:29 EDT

It's true -- the cure for gray hair is coming. New research shows that people going gray develop oxidative stress via accumulation of hydrogen peroxide in the hair follicle, causing our hair to bleach itself from the inside out. Now, this can be remedied with a proprietary treatment described as a topical, UVB-activated compound called PC-KUS (a modified pseudocatalase). What's more, the same treatment works for the skin condition, vitiligo.

Adult cells transformed into early-stage nerve cells, bypassing the pluripotent stem cell stage

Thu, 02 May 2013 13:17:17 EDT

Scientists have converted skin cells from people and monkeys into a cell that can form a wide variety of nervous-system cells — without passing through the do-it-all stage called the induced pluripotent stem cell, or iPSC.

No benefit of evening primrose oil for treating eczema, review suggests

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 21:09:09 EDT

Research into the complementary therapies evening primrose oil and borage oil shows little, if any, benefit for people with eczema compared with placebo, according to a new systematic review. The authors conclude that further studies on the therapies would be difficult to justify.

Novel mechanism by which UVA contributes to photoaging of skin

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:26:26 EDT

A study provides new evidence that longwave ultraviolet light induces a protein that could result in premature skin aging. The findings demonstrate that aspects of photoaging, the process of skin aging by chronic exposure to ultraviolet radiation, could be linked to genetic factors that accelerate the aging process when induced by the environment.

Discovery of wound-healing genes in flies could mitigate human skin ailments

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:52:52 EDT

Biologists have identified eight genes never before suspected to play a role in wound healing that are called into action near the areas where wounds occur.

Researchers observe an increased risk of cancer in people with history of non-melanoma skin cancer

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:27:27 EDT

Researchers found that people with a history of non-melanoma skin cancer had a modestly increased risk of getting cancer in the future, specifically breast and lung cancer in women and melanoma in both men and women.

Virus kills melanoma in animal model, spares normal cells

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:57:57 EDT

Researchers have demonstrated that vesicular stomatitis virus is highly competent at finding, infecting, and killing human melanoma cells, both in vitro and in animal models, while having little propensity to infect non-cancerous cells.

Some visible signs of Lyme disease are easily missed or mistaken

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:25:25 EDT

With Lyme disease season now beginning, doctors are urged to consider Lyme disease as the underlying cause when presented with skin lesions that resemble conditions such as contact dermatitis, lupus, common skin infections, or insect or spider bites, especially where Lyme disease is endemic. New analysis establishes patients with those symptoms, rather than the classic Lyme "bulls-eye" lesion, to have been infected with the Lyme bacterium.

New immune cells hint at eczema cause

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:13:13 EDT

Researchers have discovered a new type of immune cell in skin that plays a role in fighting off parasitic invaders such as ticks, mites, and worms, and could be linked to eczema and allergic skin diseases.

Nanoparticles found in everyday items can inhibit fat storage: Gold nanoparticles accelerate aging

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:21:21 EDT

An increase in gold nanoparticles can accelerate aging and wrinkling, slow wound healing and cause the onset of diabetes.

Better skin grafting: Inspired by spiny-headed worms, scientists invent microneedle adhesive stronger than surgical staples

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:43:43 EDT

A parasitic worm may hold the answer to keeping skin grafts firmly in place over wounds.

Paper-thin skin patch collects vitals: E-health made easier and more comfortable

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 10:22:22 EDT

The future of health care could be found in a tiny, paper-thin skin patch that collects vital information. The Bio-patch sensor is inexpensive, versatile and, best of all, comfortable to wear.

Lower education linked to premature death from malignant melanoma

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 08:51:51 EDT

There are socioeconomic differences in Sweden in survival amongst people with malignant skin melanoma, according to a new study. Melanoma patients with a lower educational background are much more likely to die of the disease.

Laser liposuction melts fat, results in tighter skin

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:48:48 EDT

A new, minimally invasive treatment that uses lasers to melt fat could replace the "tummy tuck," suggests research on more than 2,000 people.

Skin cells turned directly into the cells that insulate neurons

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:48:48 EDT

Researchers have succeeded in transforming skin cells directly into oligodendrocyte precursor cells, the cells that wrap nerve cells in the insulating myelin sheaths that help nerve signals propagate. The current research was done in mice and rats. If the approach also works with human cells, it could eventually lead to cell therapies for diseases like inherited leukodystrophies -- disorders of the brain's white matter -- and multiple sclerosis, as well as spinal cord injuries.

Vitamin D may reduce risk of uterine fibroids

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:44:44 EDT

Women who had sufficient amounts of vitamin D were 32 percent less likely to develop fibroids than women with insufficient vitamin D, according to a new study.

Rising melanoma rates among adolescents, children are subject of new study

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:27:27 EDT

A new study looks at the increase of melanoma, a form of skin cancer, in children and adolescents and what those trends might be telling us.

Some melanoma survivors still use tanning beds, skip sunscreen

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:30:30 EDT

Although most survivors of melanoma take precautions to protect their skin from the sun and further occurrences of cancer, new data has revealed that more than a quarter do not use sunscreen when outside for more than an hour, and more than 2 percent still use tanning beds.

Skin deep: Fruit flies reveal clues to wound healing in humans

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:45:45 EDT

A new way to study wound healing in flies suggests new targets for wound-healing drugs.

New Jersey prohibits indoor tanning for minors under 17

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:43:43 EDT

New Jersey sent a strong message to young people that indoor tanning salons can be dangerous to their health. New Jersey has passed a law that bans minors under the age of 17 years old from using indoor tanning devices. The law is based on significant scientific evidence that links indoor tanning to increased risk of developing melanoma and other forms of skin cancer.

New test for skin sensitization without using animals

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:37:37 EDT

In an advance in efforts to reduce the use of animals in testing new cosmetic and other product ingredients for skin allergies, scientists are describing a new, highly accurate non-animal test for these skin-sensitizers.

'Brazilians' and other types of pubic hair removal may boost viral infection risk

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 20:34:34 EDT

"Brazilians" and other types of fashionable pubic hair removal may boost the risk of a viral infection called Molluscum contagiousum, suggests a small study.

Repairing the nose after skin cancer in just one step

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:18:18 EDT

A new reconstruction technique allows surgeons to recreate a functioning nostril after removing skin cancer from the nose. The technique takes only one step, unlike the current practice that requires a return trip the operating room.

What impact does a day of roller derby have on our skin microbiome? Skaters skin microbiomes get mixed up 'bouting'

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 09:26:26 EDT

The human skin is home to countless microorganisms that we can't see, but these microbes help define who we are. Our invisible passengers -- known as the skin microbiome -- contribute to our health in numerous ways including educating our immune system, protecting us from pathogens, and mediating skin disorders. In a new study, researchers investigated how the skin microbiome is transmitted between players in a contact sport, using roller derby as their model system.

Aspirin may lower melanoma risk

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 09:15:15 EDT

A new study has found that women who take aspirin have a reduced risk of developing melanoma -- and that the longer they take it, the lower the risk. The findings suggest that aspirin's anti-inflammatory effects may help protect against this type of skin cancer.

Anti-aging drug breakthrough

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 11:13:13 EST

Drugs that combat aging may be available within five years, following landmark work. The work finally demonstrates that a single anti-aging enzyme in the body can be targeted, with the potential to prevent age-related diseases and extend lifespans. Four thousand synthetic activators, which are 100 times as potent as a single glass of red wine, have been developed -- the best three are in human trials.

'Switch' critical to wound healing identified

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 11:13:13 EST

Patients with diseases such as diabetes suffer from painful wounds that take a long time to heal making them more susceptible to infections that could even lead to amputations. A new discovery paves the way for therapeutics to improve healing of such chronic wounds, which are a significant burden to patients.

First evidence that obesity gene is risk factor for melanoma

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 10:55:55 EST

The gene most strongly linked to obesity and over eating may also increase the risk of malignant melanoma -- the most deadly skin cancer, according to scientists.

Why some people get zits and others don't

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:01:01 EST

Researchers have discovered that acne bacteria contain "bad" strains associated with pimples and "good" strains that may protect the skin. The findings could lead to a myriad of new therapies to prevent and treat the disfiguring skin disorder.

Modified protein could become first effective treatment for vitiligo skin disorder

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:09:09 EST

Researchers have developed a genetically modified protein that dramatically reverses the skin disorder vitiligo in mice, and has similar effects on immune responses in human skin tissue samples. The modified protein is potentially the first effective treatment for vitiligo.

Taking omega-3 supplements may help prevent skin cancer, new study finds

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:20:20 EST

Taking omega-3 fish oils could help to protect against skin cancer, according to new research. Scientists just carried out the first clinical trial to examine the impact of the fish oils on the skin immunity of volunteers.

New therapeutics could accelerate wound healing

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 10:07:07 EST

Chemistry and biochemistry professors report a discovery to exploit our body's ability to heal itself, that could lead to new bio-mimicking therapeutics to treat skin wounds.

Gene linked to worse outcomes for melanoma

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:24:24 EST

Scientists have identified a gene present in some melanoma which appears to make the tumor cells more resistant to treatment.

Baby wash does not damage baby's skin barrier function, study finds

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 20:15:15 EST

New research has found washing newborn babies in a specific baby wash is just as safe as using water alone in terms of maintaining healthy skin.

New findings on genetic risks of Behçet's disease

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 08:50:50 EST

Researchers don't know the exact cause of Behçet's disease, a condition that leads to serious complications such as blindness, but new research brings better understanding to what makes some people more susceptible to being affected.

Modern life may cause sun exposure, skin pigmentation mismatch

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 08:43:43 EST

As people move more often and become more urbanized, skin color -- an adaptation that took hundreds of thousands of years to develop in humans -- may lose some of its evolutionary advantage, according to an anthropologist.

Evolution helped turn hairless skin into a canvas for self-expression

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 08:42:42 EST

Hairless skin first evolved in humans as a way to keep cool -- and then turned into a canvas to help them look cool, according to an anthropologist.

Newer, shorter-course antibiotic shows similar effectiveness for treating skin infection

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:20:20 EST

Treatment with a newer antibiotic, tedizolid phosphate, once daily for 6 days was statistically noninferior (no worse than) in efficacy to the antibiotic linezolid twice daily for 10 days for both early (at day 2 to 3) and sustained (at day 11) clinical responses in patients with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections, according to a new study.

New technology gives doctors an important diagnostic tool

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 14:15:15 EST

When cocaine producers began using an inexpensive medication, levamisole, to dilute the cocaine to boost their profits, their customers were showing up in hospital emergency rooms with serious skin injuries caused by cocaine-levamisole toxicity. A dermatologist has provided photographs of the skin condition to VisualDx -- a new technology that was created with more than 100,000 medical images to help doctors visually diagnose disease.

Injection-free vaccination technique could address global vaccine challenge for HIV, malaria

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:39:39 EST

Scientists have demonstrated the ability to deliver a dried live vaccine to the skin without a traditional needle, and shown for the first time that this technique is powerful enough to enable specialized immune cells in the skin to kick-start the immunizing properties of the vaccine.

Gene finding may lead to treatments effective against all MRSA strains

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 12:06:06 EST

New research has pinpointed a gene that causes the dominant strain of MRSA infection to linger on the skin longer than other strains, allowing it to be passed more readily from one person to the next. In uncovering this property, researchers have identified a novel target for developing new treatments against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Sorting out stroking sensations: Biologists find individual neurons in skin that react to massage

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 15:29:29 EST

The skin is a human being's largest sensory organ, helping to distinguish between a pleasant contact, like a caress, and a negative sensation, like a pinch or a burn. Previous studies have shown that these sensations are carried to the brain by different types of sensory neurons that have nerve endings in the skin. Now biologists have identified in mice a specific class of skin sensory neurons that reacts to an apparently pleasurable stimulus.

Silibinin, found in milk thistle, protects against UV-induced skin cancer

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 14:36:36 EST

Milk thistle extract, silibinin, kills skin cells mutated by UVA radiation and protects against damage by UVB radiation -- thus protecting against UV-induced skin cancer and photo-aging, according to new research.

Itching for new help for eczema: Recently identified immune cells possible therapeutic target

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 14:36:36 EST

Researchers have identified a previously unknown critical role for a recently identified immune cell population in the progression of atopic dermatitis. The team found an accumulation of innate lymphoid cells in the active lesions of patients with atopic dermatitis, and in mice, they showed that ILCs contribute to disease progression. These studies suggest innate lymphoid cells may be a new therapeutic target in treating the development and severity of atopic dermatitis.

Two-fold higher incidence of non-melanoma skin cancers for HIV patients

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 11:15:15 EST

HIV-positive patients have a higher incidence of non-melanoma skin cancers, according to a new study. Specifically, basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas occur more than twice as often among HIV-positive individuals compared to those who are HIV-negative.

Skin, soft tissue infections succumb to blue light

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 16:34:34 EST

Blue light can selectively eradicate Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections of the skin and soft tissues, while preserving the outermost layer of skin, according to a proof-of-principle study.

Safer way to vaccinate? Polymer film that gradually releases DNA coding for viral proteins may beat traditional vaccines

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:39:39 EST

Researchers have described a new type of vaccine-delivery film that holds promise for improving the effectiveness of DNA vaccines.

Keeping skin youthful: Skin aging regulator identified

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 10:19:19 EST

Despite progress in regenerative medicine, with age, the skin loses its properties in an irreversible manner. Scientists have just defined the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in maintaining skin cells and skin healing in advanced years.

Linchpin of skin response to UVA light discovered

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 16:19:19 EST

Researchers have strengthened their understanding of how skin cells called melanocytes sense ultraviolet light and act to protect themselves with melanin. In a new study, they report experiments showing that an ion channel well-known elsewhere in the body for its chemical sensitivity, plays a central role in this process.

Inaccurate diagnoses of melanoma by smartphone apps could delay doctor visits, life-saving treatment

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:37:37 EST

Smartphone applications that claim to evaluate a user's photographs of skin lesions for the likelihood of cancer instead returned highly variable and often inaccurate feedback, according to a new study. The findings suggest that relying on these "apps" instead of consulting with a physician may delay the diagnosis of melanoma and timely, life-saving treatment.

Skin problems, joint disorders top list of reasons people visit doctors

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:35:35 EST

A new study shows that people most often visit their health care providers because of skin issues, joint disorders and back pain. Findings may help researchers focus efforts to determine better ways to prevent and treat these conditions in large groups of people.

3-D mapping of lipid orientation in biological tissues such as skin

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 11:15:15 EST

A non-invasive method that makes it possible to observe in situ how assemblies of lipids are oriented in biological tissues, and which does not require any labeling or preparation, has been developed. The work should enable the detection and characterization of certain pathologies associated with molecular disorders in the skin or in the nervous tissue.

Supplements and cow's milk play biggest roles in determining vitamin D levels in children

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 17:21:21 EST

Taking a vitamin D supplement and drinking cow's milk are the two most important factors that determine how much vitamin D is in a child's body, new research has found.

Lack of protein Sp2 disrupts neuron creation in brain

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 15:29:29 EST

A protein known as Sp2 is key to the proper creation of neurons from stem cells, according to new research.

New treatment for psoriasis?

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:25:25 EST

Three per cent of the world’s population suffer from the skin condition known as psoriasis. A Norwegian research-based company is close to developing a treatment that could help millions. The research may also prove beneficial in the treatment of other illnesses.

Staphylococcus aureus: Why it just gets up your nose

Thu, 27 Dec 2012 17:33:33 EST

Researchers have identified a mechanism by which the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus colonizes our nasal passages. The study shows for the first time that a protein located on the bacterial surface called clumping factor B has high affinity for the skin protein loricrin.