Blood and marrow transplant corrects collagen VII deficiency

Note: Photos, b-roll, and interviews with the family are available: www.ahc.umn.edu/eb

Physicians at the University of Minnesota and University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital, Fairview have set the path to a cure for a young boyâ…

The human body is home to a diverse range of microorganisms, estimated to outnumber human cells in a healthy adult by ten fold. The importance of characterizing human microbiota for understanding health and disease is highlighted by the recent launch of the Human Microbiome Project by the National…

For a rich source of stem cells to be engineered into new blood vessels or skin tissue, clinicians may one day look no further than the hair on their patients’ heads, according to new research published earlier this month by University at Buffalo engineers.

“Engineering blood vessels for bypass …

The most potent drug available for the treatment of acne is 13-cis retinoic acid (13-cis RA; also known as isotretinoin); however, little is known about the mechanism by which it acts. Insight into the mechanisms by which 13-cis RA combats acne has now been provided by Diane Thiboutot and colleagues…

A protein naturally produced and secreted by the body can make the difference between your average mole and melanoma, which killed more than 8,000 people in the United States last year, reveals a new study in the February 8 issue of the journal Cell, a publication of Cell Press.

If this natural …

A new study shows that an important drug used in the treatment of malignant melanoma has little effect on the melanoma cells themselves. Instead, it activates immune-system cells to fight the disease.

The drug, called interferon alpha (IFNa), is used to clean up microscopic tumor cells that may …

Melanocytes are not the only cells responsible for differences in skin coloration. New research from the University of Cincinnati (UC) has shown that some of the most basic cells on the skin’s surface influence pigment production and help regulate skin coloration.

The finding offers hope for ne…

Until recently physicians have had to rely on time-consuming and uncertain behavioural examinations to diagnose the onset of brain diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia.

Research published next week in the Institute of Physics’ Journal of Neural Engineering suggests …

What is erythema nodosum?

Erythema nodosum is a type of skin inflammation that is located in a certain portion of the fatty layer of skin. Erythema nodosum results in reddish, painful, tender lumps most commonly located in the front of the legs below the knees. The tender lumps, or nodules, of er…