Futurity.org » skin

Hydrogel heals third-degree burns

Mary Spiro-JHU — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:56:23 +0000

JOHNS HOPKINS (US) — A new jelly-like material appears to promote the repair of severe burns, regenerating healthy, scar-free tissue in early experiments with animals.

The new material has not yet been tested on human patients, but researchers say the substance, used as part of a new wound treatment method, appears to promote the formation of new blood vessels and skin in mouse tissue.

Skin’s eye-like receptors ‘see’ UV light

David Orenstein-Brown — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:01:07 +0000

BROWN (US) — Skin is able to detect ultraviolet light by using a receptor previously thought to only exist in the eye.

This eye-like ability of skin to sense light triggers the production of melanin within hours, more quickly than previously thought, in an apparent rush to protect against damage to DNA.

Cancer drug may treat scarring diseases

Marla Paul-Northwestern — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:20:32 +0000

NORTHWESTERN (US) — A drug used to treat cancer may also be effective in treating diseases that cause scarring of the internal organs or skin, such as pulmonary fibrosis and scleroderma.

The drug stopped the production of fibrotic proteins in human cells and the development of fibrous scarring in a mouse model of fibrotic disease, according to a new study published in the journal Thorax.

Fat-melting laser can zap zits

Nicole Casal Moore-Michigan — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:45:06 +0000

U. MICHIGAN (US) — A laser designed to melt fat without burning surrounding tissue may be an effective tool for treating acne.

The laser’s 1,708-nanometer, infrared beam takes advantage of a unique wavelength that fat can absorb more efficiently than water, which makes up more than half of the human body.

Skin infections sending kids to hospitals

Phyllis Brown-UC Davis — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 19:07:47 +0000

UC DAVIS (US) — The number of children hospitalized for skin and soft-tissue infections has more than doubled since 2000, in large part due to community-acquired MRSA—and the way doctors now treat it.

“Often parents don’t recognize that their kid’s abscess or other soft-tissue infections might be MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) because the child hasn’t been in nursing homes or hospitals, where you usually think of getting staph infections,” says Patrick S. Romano, professor of medicine and pediatrics at University of California, Davis. “It’s usually pretty easy to treat, if you treat it early and know what you’re looking for.

Admissions for severe skin infections now rank as the seventh-most-common reason for children being admitted to the hospital, up from 13th place in 2000, with the biggest jump from 2000 to 2005. That jump is attributable to the manner in which physicians now treat MRSA, Romano says.

It’s electric: Wireless ‘tattoo’ sticks to skin

Megan Fellman-Northwestern — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 15:00:10 +0000

NORTHWESTERN / U. ILLINOIS (US) — A new wireless electronic tattoo is so flexible and thin it can easily be applied to the skin—and just as easily removed.

The system could be used for monitoring heart, muscle, and brain activity. It also could have applications for chemical and biological sensing, wound treatment, and even computer gaming.

Laugh lines may signal serious bone risk

Karen Peart-Yale — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 13:02:55 +0000

YALE (US) — Severity and distribution of skin wrinkles may offer clues to bone mineral density in early menopausal women, according to a new study.

“Skin and bones share common building blocks-proteins, and aging is accompanied by changes in skin and deterioration of bone quantity and quality,” says Lubna Pal, associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive science at Yale University.

Tissue pushes healthy skin invasion

Anne Ju-Cornell — Wed, 18 May 2011 19:21:26 +0000

CORNELL (US) — Manufactured tissue grafts could benefit victims of traumatic injuries by encouraging healthy skin to move into wounded areas, reducing the need for surgery.

Composed of experimental tissue scaffolds about the size of a dime with the consistency of tofu, the biomaterials are made of a material called type 1 collagen, often used in surgeries and other biomedical applications.

Stem cell switcharoo heals skin

Emma Reynolds-Kings College London — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 19:09:59 +0000

KING’S COLLEGE LONDON (UK) — Bone marrow cells that transform into skin cells could be used to repair damaged skin tissue.

Researchers at King’s College London and Osaka University in Japan have uncovered how this process works, providing new insights into the mechanisms behind skin repair. The finding could benefit people with chronic wounds such as leg ulcers, pressure sores and burns, as well as genetic skin diseases such as epidermolysis bullosa, which causes painful blisters on the skin.

Eczema is double trouble for skin

Emily Boynton-Rochester — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 19:48:59 +0000

U. ROCHESTER (US) — Two faulty barriers—not one as previously thought—are influential in how eczema develops, allowing microscopic intruders to wreak havoc on the skin’s immune system.

While the stratum corneum, the skin’s upper-most layer, has been pinned as the culprit in previous research, a new study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology finds that a second skin barrier structure, consisting of cell-to-cell connections known as tight junctions, is also faulty in eczema patients and likely plays a role in the development of the disease.