Skin Drugs

Organic Semiconductor at the Smithsonian.

Organic semiconductor at the Smithsonian institution.

Hair loss and Imatinib

Transfus Apher Sci. 2013 Feb 15. pii: S1473-0502(13)00018-9. doi: 10.1016/j.transci.2013.01.002. [Epub ahead of print]

Successful management of imatinib despite alopecia and nail necrosis.

Ergene U, Ozbalci D.

Abstract
Imatinib mesylate selectively inhibits bcr/abl and other non-specific tyrosine kinases, such as c-kit and platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor and successfully used to treat chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). In most cases, the drug is well tolerated: however, side effects can be seen. Hair loss and paronychia inflammation were often reported with Imatinib, but total alopecia was rarely mentioned. We report a CML patient who was presented with alopecia and paronychia inflammation probably induced by imatinib therapy. We have successfully treated our patient by cessation and then re-applying therapy with lower doses after improvement of lesions and have not found a similar report in literature.

Dermatoscope in Pediatric skin disorders

Pediatr Dermatol. 2013 Feb 14. doi: 10.1111/pde.12097. [Epub ahead of print]

Dermoscopy for the Pediatric Dermatologist Part I: Dermoscopy of Pediatric Infectious and Inflammatory Skin Lesions and Hair Disorders.

Abstract

The dermoscope allows physicians to examine the macroscopic and microscopic primary morphology of skin lesions, identify subtle clinical clues, confirm naked-eye clinical diagnoses, and monitor treatment progress while posing little threat to the young patient. This review summarizes important dermoscopic structures seen in infectious and inflammatory skin conditions and hair disorders in children. Scabies, pediculosis, phthiriasis, molluscum contagiosum, tinea nigra, and verrucae are well characterized dermoscopically by delta-shaped structures, ovoid-shaped nits, the crab louse, red corona, brown strands or spicules, and multiple densely packed papilla with a central black dot surrounded by a whitish halo, respectively. These dermoscopic structures will be discussed, focusing on the dermoscopic morphologies and dermoscopic sensitivity for diagnosis and its utility in monitoring treatment progress. Dermoscopy has also been shown to significantly improve the clinician’s diagnostic and monitoring accuracy of inflammatory skin lesions such as psoriasis, which is characterized dermoscopically by uniformly distributed dotted blood vessels, and lichen planus, which is characterized by whitish lines on a purple to reddish background. Dermoscopy of the hair and scalp (trichoscopy) facilitates the differential diagnosis of hair diseases in children, including hair loss secondary to alopecia areata, trichotillomania, and tinea capitis. It can also assist in the diagnosis of multiple genetic hair shaft disorders, such as monilethrix, trichorrhexis invaginata, trichorrhexis nodosa, pili torti, and pili annulati.

Hair Loss Treatment blog.

Organic Semiconductor

Melanin is the classic organic semiconductor.

Follicular Neogenesis

Qiao J,-et al, Hair follicle neogenesis induced by cultured human scalp dermal papilla cells.Regen Med. 2009;4:667

DP cells were isolated from scalp hair follicles from human donors. DP cell cultures were established under conditions that preserved their hair-inductive potential and allowed for significant expansion. The hair-inductive potential of cells cultured for approximately 36 doublings was tested in an in vivo flap-graft model. In some experiments, DiI was used to label cells prior to grafting. RESULTS: Under the culture conditions developed, cultures established from numerous donors reproducibly resulted in an expansion that averaged approximately five population doublings per passage. Furthermore, the cells consistently induced hair regrowth in an in vivo graft assay. Grafted DP cells appeared in DP structures of newly formed hairs, as well as in the dermal sheath and in the dermis surrounding follicles. Induced hair follicles persisted and regrew after being plucked 11 months after grafting. A process for the propagation of human DP cells has been developed that provides significant expansion of cells and maintenance of their hair-regrowth inductive capability, overcoming a major technical obstacle in the development of follicular cell implantation as a treatment for hair loss.

Hair loss blog