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.
NIH-Funded Clinical Study is One of the First to Evaluate Sublingual Immunotherapy as a Peanut Allergy Treatment
A new study supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests that sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) can reduce the allergic response to peanut in adolescents and adults. SLIT is a treatment approach in which, under medical supervision, people place a small amount of allergen under the tongue to decrease their sensitivity to the allergen.
National Jewish Health (NJH) has received an educational grant from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to improve the care of pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis in a medically underserved population. The one-year $586,511 independent medical educational program grant from GSK will be used by NJH to train health care providers and team members from Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics (RMYC) to better diagnose and manage their atopic dermatitis patients, and ultimately improve patient care and quality of life in the Denver metropolitan area.
“Undiagnosed and untreated atopic dermatitis can have a crippling
Since the beginning of this century several studies have been published that have helped to revolutionize our understanding of the pathophysiology of AD. These studies have shown an association between genetic variation and AD. Genes that have been implicated include genes that code proteins associated with skin barrier and genes that code proteins involved in immune function.
BOSTON (Aug. 16, 2012) Information presented at American Academy of Dermatology’s Summer Academy Meeting by Lawrence F. Eichenfield, MD, FAAD, a board-certified pediatric dermatologist, chief, division of pediatric and adolescent dermatology and professor of pediatrics and medicine (dermatology), Rady Children’s Hospital and University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. Dr. Eichenfield is also a member of the National Eczema Association Scientific Advisory Committee.
OVERVIEW For the millions of children and adolescents affected by chronic skin conditions such as atopic
Using bioinformatics to mine allergen databases and epidemiological studies, investigators at NIAID have uncovered new information on what makes people allergic to allergens. The NIAID team found that the differences between the structure of foreign proteins and the structure of self-proteins made the foreign ones allergenic. The results of their work appear online in the July 18th issue of PLoS ONE.
Background
Allergic diseases, such as asthma, food allergy, and seasonal allergies, affect millions of people in the United States and seem to be on the rise.
To quantify and compare the physiochemical properties of various topical emollients and to correlate these findings with the products' potential to maintain the stratum corneum (SC) acid milieu, while possessing the appropriate water content for skin rehydration, user adherence, and comfort.
MATERIAL AND METHODS:
The pH and hydrophilic fraction of 31 skin moisturizers sold in the US were measured. Hydrophilic Index (HI) was calculated using the "HI equation." The two parameters were charted using a scatter plot with quadrant divisions.
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.
