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Dr. Aimee Payne’s Path to Creating CAAR-T Cell Therapies
In 2011, Aimee Payne, MD, PhD, was running a lab at the University of Pennsylvania, studying pemphigus vulgaris, an autoimmune disease of the skin that results when B cells make antibodies that attack the cell-adhesion protein desmoglein 3.
Through the Lens of Education
Timothy T. Berger, MD, has always been a visual person and likes the stories art can tell. He understands something in the clinic better when he can draw a picture of it. Dr. Berger was Professor of Clinical Dermatology in the Department of Dermatology at the UCSF School of Medicine and, for his dedication to…
60 Years of Discovery and Counting
In the 1950s, Dr. Stephen Rothman was among those who pioneered the idea of investigative dermatology, believing physicians should apply basic scientific research to the practice of our specialty. Dermatologists embraced the role of science in dermatology, including those who created the Dermatology Foundation in 1964. They based the Foundation on a simple idea: that…
In Step With Patients and Residents
For more than 40 years, whether in a clinical setting or within university walls, Dr. Jeffrey Herten, the 2023 DF Clark W. Finnerud Award recipient, has been able to convey his love of the specialty and his compassion towards patients. He graduated from the Medical School of the University of California, Irvine, (UCI) in 1972…
Cancer Overdiagnosis: A Dermatopathologist’s Perspective
Dr. Bennett shared his perspective on melanoma overdiagnosis and how to address the problem. First, Dr. Bennett advised dermatologists to be careful about the language they use to describe melanoma screening and diagnosis. “Overdiagnosis” means using current diagnostic criteria to correctly diagnose a condition that may not harm the patient. Overdiagnosis does not mean misdiagnosis….
Oral Minoxidil for Hair Loss
Dr. Craiglow presented about the use of oral minoxidil for hair loss disorders. First, Dr. Craiglow described the history of oral minoxidil treatment. Oral minoxidil was first used in patients with severe refractory hypertension, and hair growth was reported as a side effect. The exact mechanisms of oral minoxidil are unclear. It functions as a…
Big Medicines for Little People: Systemic Therapies in Pediatric Dermatology
Dr. Craiglow discussed systemic therapies for pediatric atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis and shared tips for treating children. First, Dr. Craiglow emphasized the importance of patient experience in assessing the severity of disease. She suggested asking patients how much the disease affects their life on a scale from 0 (not at all) to 10 (ruins…
Vitiligo Treatment from the Iron Age to the Age of Biologics: New Hope for an Ancient Disease
Dr. Harris presented an overview of past and present treatments for vitiligo, including advances in vitiligo research and ongoing work to improve vitiligo treatment in the future. First, Dr. Harris described research that led to FDA approval of topical ruxolitinib for vitiligo. Dr. Harris sought to develop targeted immunotherapies that could treat vitiligo while avoiding…