Pachyonychia congenita. Photo by Ali87090 via Wikimedia Commons Pachyonychia congenita (PC) is a rare genetic disorder caused by mutations in one of five keratin genes. PC produces debilitating plantar calluses and a characteristic thickening of the nails, with no approved treatment options. In a paper in Science Translational Medicine , University of Michigan investigators report that a single stress‑induced keratin, keratin 16 (K16), may help explain why the skin’s response

Botulinum toxin may offer a practical new option for patients with painful, treatment‑resistant ischemic lesions of the fingers, according to a systematic review and individual‑patient meta‑analysis published in JAMA Dermatology  by investigators at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) in Montreal. Researchers at the Research Institute of the MUHC report that injections of botulinum toxin were associated with complete healing of digital lesions in more than 85% of 119 p

Photo by Benis Arapovic via Vecteezy Researchers in Arkansas are developing experimental surgical sutures that slowly release anti-inflammatory drugs at the wound site, aiming to curb local inflammation, reduce scarring, and potentially improve outcomes of delicate procedures. Working in the laboratory of chemist Sharon K. Hamilton, PhD, at Ouachita Baptist University, undergraduate researcher Mieya Kirby has focused on electrospun polymers, which can be drawn under high volt

Mastocytosis. Photo by Doc James via Wikimedia Commons Recent findings show treatment with the selective KIT D816V inhibitor avapritinib for indolent systemic mastocytosis (ISM) improved dermatologic symptoms, decreased skin lesion size, normalized skin lesion colour, and reduced skin mast cell burden. The study was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology . In a press release , the study’s senior author, Karin Hartmann, MD, said that her mastocytosis p

MFSD2A is required for the uptake of LPCs containing linoleic acid (LPC18:2) from the blood for normal development of the epidermis. The absence of MFSD2A leads to increased skin inflammation and thickening of the epidermis. Photo by: Bernice Wong Researchers at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore have pinpointed a lipid transporter that enables epidermal cells to import key fatty acids from the bloodstream, a mechanism they say is critical for preserving skin barrier integr

Shoshana Marmon, MD, PhD Some improvements seen in skin thickness and collagen, but study designs varied Topical estrogen is emerging as a sought-after option for menopausal skin changes, but dermatologists caution that the evidence base remains limited and safety questions unresolved, according to a cover article in the Feb. 2026 issue of The Chronicle of Skin & Allergy . Patient interest in facial estrogen preparations has grown in parallel with menopause-focused marketing

This laboratory image shows Staphylococcus aureus bacteria streaked in the shape of a sex steroid, like testosterone. The left shape is of wild-type S. aureus, with the lighter halo around the shape indicating hemolysis, or the breakdown of red blood cells, releasing their hemoglobin into the surrounding fluid. The right shape is a quorum-sensing mutant strain of S. aureus, which cannot damage blood cells. Photo courtesy UT Southwestern Testosterone, long implicated in sex-ba

TRPV4, an ion channel, is found in neurons classically associated with touch, called Aβ low-threshold mechanoreceptors. New research indicates that TRPV4 can generate itch, but it also helps trigger a negative feedback signal, a neural message that tells the spinal cord and brain that scratching has been sufficient. Image Courtesy of Roberta Gualdani Researchers have discovered that the ion channel TRPV4 plays a critical role in regulating the body's built-in "stop-scratching