Monthly Archives: August 2013

What is poison ivy? What is a poison ivy rash?

Poison ivy is a plant well known for causing severe inflammation of the skin, also known as contact dermatitis. The plant contains a sap which causes instant irritation if it comes in contact with the skin. Poison ivy is native to North America, where it mainly grows in clusters on the edges of woodland - where there is sufficient sunlight for it to grow...

Skin self-exams recommended for Hispanics

More than three-quarters of Hispanics patients in North Carolina aren't performing skin self-exams (SSE) to detect possible skin cancers, and physicians need to do a better job of educating their patients about this potentially life-saving practice, say researchers in the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill...

FDA approval of Mirvaso®: the first FDA-approved topical treatment specifically developed and indicated for the facial erythema of rosacea

Galderma Laboratories, L.P. has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Mirvaso® (brimonidine) topical gel, 0.33%* for the topical treatment of the facial erythema (redness) of rosacea in adults 18 years of age or older. Applied once daily, Mirvaso works quickly to reduce the redness of rosacea and lasts up to 12 hours...

Potential therapeutic target suggested by finding that immune system, skin microbiome ‘complement’ one another

Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania demonstrate for the first time that the immune system influences the skin microbiome. A new study found that the skin microbiome - a collection of microorganisms inhabiting the human body - is governed, at least in part, by an ancient branch of the immune system called complement...

Melanoma: ‘much higher death risk in men’

Melanoma - the most deadly form of skin cancer - affects men more than women, according to research from Cancer Research UK in partnership with the University of Leeds. Risk factors for the cancer include overexposure to UV from the sun or sunbeds, having pale skin with a lot of moles, and a family history of the disease, say the researchers...

PHCRI research study gives hope to those with chronic non-healing wounds

New research by the Providence Health Care Research Institute (PHCRI) tackles a major problem plaguing long-term care facilities and hospitals. The study, published in the Nature Publication Group journal Cell Death and Differentiation, gives hope to those with chronic non-healing wounds, a problem affecting as many as 20-25 percent of patients in long-term care facilities...