Would you like to participate in a clinical research trial? A clinical trial is a research study in human volunteers used to determine whether new drugs or treatments are safe and effective. Clinical testing is preceded by extensive laboratory research, and is normally done in three phases.
To my great delight, a new t-shirt came in the mail the other day. Not only is it the bright sunshine yellow I feel drawn to on these gray winter days, but it also represents a new dawning for NEA. The logo on my yellow t will be on our first official t-shirt for our inaugural fund-raising walk, Itching for a Cure, in April 2012.
The National Eczema Association (NEA) began as a small patient support group organized by Dr. Jon Hanifin, a physician and researcher in the Dermatology Department of Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon.
Report by Peter M. Elias, M.D. Dermatology Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco.
Both a defective skin barrier, as well as a tendency to develop secondary infections, are well-recognized features of atopic dermatitis (AD).
By Dr. Sunil Sharon Dhawan. What is hand dermatitis? Well, it’s any chronic rash on the hands. It is usually symptomatic; it itches, burns, bleeds, irritates, et cetera. About 2 to 9 percent of the general population has it, and a lot of people in my practice and a lot of people in most dermatology practices have it.
A report released in October 2005 by the National Eczema Association (NEA) offers guidance to both patients and physicians regarding the use of two common skin care medications that have been the subject of public health advisories by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In the NEA report, physicians from Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) in Boston, Massachusetts, provide an independent review of the clinical benefits and potential cancer risks associated with the drugs Elidel (pimecrolimus) and Protopic (tacrolimus).
Researchers at National Jewish Medical and Research Center report in the October 10, 2005, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine that patients with atopic dermatitis, also known as eczema, are susceptible to bacterial infections of their skin because they fail to produce effective amounts of two antimicrobial peptides. The findings demonstrate for the first time the clinical significance of these peptides in humans, and suggest that a medication containing or inducing the peptides may one day be used to fight the infections that plague millions of atopic dermatitis patients. The accompanying editorial in the journal called it a seminal study.
The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), a division of the National Institutes of Health recently held a roundtable meeting on the topic of Itch Research. The National Eczema Association’s (NEA) advocacy helped make this first roundtable dedicated to itch possible. Why is this important? Itch is being given attention and looked at more closely on a national level.
What Is Contact Dermatitis? If you develop redness, heat, swelling and pain on your skin when you come in contact with certain substances, you may have what is known as “contact dermatitis.”
Community members have expressed concern after reading recent media coverage relating to the methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. Here are some basic questions and answers about the organism.
In the January issue of the British Journal of Dermatology, Dr. Gil Yosipovitch and colleagues from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, reported on their study to examine the effects of repetitive heat and scratching on itch intensity in 16 patients with atopic dermatitis and 10 healthy subjects.
Excerpt from the American Academy of Dermatology Skin Briefs E-News SAN ANTONIO (Feb. 3, 2008)
New studies examining the genetic basis of the condition support the longstanding theory that atopic dermatitis might be caused by a defect in the skin’s protective outer layer known as the epidermal barrier allowing irritants, microbes and allergens to penetrate the skin and cause adverse reactions.
Ideally, participating in a clinical trial means helping others by contributing to medical research and helping advance the development of better treatments. By educating themselves about the rules and guidelines for the trial, and the risks involved in being on placebo or active drug, participants can help lead the way for better treatment for the entire eczema community.
