News & Updates

Meeting individual needs of patients with atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory skin disease with complex aetiology and presentation. Globally, AD incidence is heterogeneous – it is higher in Africa and Oceania and lower in India and northeastern and eastern Europe, said Prof Martin Steinhoff, director, Translational Research Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation in Doha, Qatar, who chaired a Pfizer-sponsored symposium during WCD 2023.

AD has a variable course, and its heterogeneous presentation adds complexity to how the disease is managed. The burden of AD is the highest among all skin diseases, added Steinhoff. It has mental health manifestations such as anxiety and depression, chronic itch, fatigue, skin pain, and sleep disturbance. AD may also co-exist with other comorbidities that could impact patients’ general health. “We need to assess every patient carefully and manage them optimally,” he pointed out.

Steinhoff is joined by renowned experts Dr Mahreen Ameen, consultant dermatologist, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK, and Dr Chih-Ho Hong, dermatologist, Saint Paul Hospital in Vancouver, Canada. Together, they shared four global cases of AD, including treatment options for patients.

Atopic dermatitis linked to subsequent IBD

Children and adults with atopic dermatitis (AD) are at risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with the risk varying by age, AD severity, and IBD subtype, according to a study.

Atopic dermatitis: Key drivers in making treatment decisions

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic relapsing skin disease that requires long-term control. At the 25th World Congress of Dermatology (WCD) in Singapore, Professor Sonja Ständer, professor of dermatology and neurodermatology at the University Hospital Münster, Germany, and Professor Zuotao Zhao, dermatologist from the First Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China, shared clinical approaches to managing patients with moderate-to-severe AD. The session was chaired by Professor Johannes Ring, director, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Biederstein at the Technical University of Munich, Germany. Among the key topics discussed were the multifactorial nature of AD, its primary symptoms, and the various therapeutic options for itch relief.

Jakinibs for AD in Asians: Is one better than the other?

Treatment with oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors or jakinibs appeared well tolerated in patients with atopic dermatitis  (AD) as shown in an Asian retrospective cohort study.

Prof Katalin Karikó: mRNA technology a versatile tool to transform the future of medicine

At an honorary degree conferment ceremony held at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and an interview with MIMS Doctor, Professor Katalin Karikó, a pioneer of mRNA technology, suggested that recent advances in mRNA research can provide a versatile tool for combating various diseases.

Topical COX inhibitor mitigates capecitabine-associated HFS in GI cancer patients

Topical diclofenac gel significantly reduced the incidence of hand-foot syndrome (HFS) in patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancer receiving capecitabine, according to findings from the exploratory subgroup analysis of the D-ToRCH* trial.

Mohs micrographic surgery on par with wide local excision for Merkel cell carcinoma

Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) as the surgical modality for primary cutaneous Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is not inferior to wide-local excision (WLE), showing no survival disadvantage, according to a recent study.