Skin articles![]() 1. Lupus :: Immunosuppressive drug effective for reducing lupus flares Mayo Clinic researchers have shown that an immunosuppressive drug used in organ transplant cases is effective in reducing flare-ups in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). SLE results in inflammation of connective tissues and can involve the skin, joints and kidneys. Its cause is unknown. The findings were announced today at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in Boston. 2. Epilepsy :: Reports of seizure frequency may be inaccurate in patients with focal epilepsy Asking patients with focal epilepsy (also known as partial seizures, which usually involve focal areas of the body and altered consciousness) how often they have seizures does not appear to provide an accurate count, according to a report in the November issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Reminding patients to record their seizures in a diary may not help, because patients may be unaware of some seizures. 3. Antioxidant :: Antioxidants could provide all-purpose radiation protection Two common dietary molecules found in legumes and bran could protect DNA from the harmful effects of radiation, researchers from the University of Maryland report. Inositol and inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) protected both human skin cells and a skin cancer-prone mouse from exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, the damaging radiation found in sunlight, the team reported today at the American Association for Cancer Research Centennial Conference on Translational Cancer Medicine. 4. Skin :: Stressed-out skin loses its antimicrobial defense mechanism It is well known that being stressed increases our susceptibility to infections by impairing the function of our immune system, but the molecular links between stress and diminished immune function have not been determined. However, Peter Elias and colleagues at UCSF, have now characterized a mechanistic link in mice between psychological stress and increased susceptibility to skin infections. 5. Parkinson's Disease :: Nicotine may improve quality of life for Parkinson's disease patients The Parkinson's Institute and Clinical Center announced research showing that intermittent nicotine treatment reduces medication-induced dyskinesias by as much as 50 percent in models of Parkinson’s disease. Lead by senior research scientist, Maryka Quik, Ph.D., the research will be published in an upcoming issue of the Annals of Neurology. |