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Atopical botanical complex from a novel combination of phytochemicals, denoted as herbal anti-inflammatory treatment 1 (HAT1), was developed for topical treatment of psoriasis.

Background: Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is the most common AIDS-associated neoplasm. It is a vascular neoplasm that occurs as a result of infection with a human herpesvirus (HHV-8). Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and HHV-8 both belong to Herpesviridae, a family of DNA viruses. CMV is highly prevalent in the general population and can cause localized or disseminated disease in AIDS patients.Case: A 42-year-old male with an HIV infection presented with a painful ulcerated growing white nodule with overlying telangiectatic vessels on the right third toe that he noticed 4 weeks ago. A tangential biopsy revealed a vascular proliferation which was diffusely positive for HHV-8. In addition, scattered inclusion bodies were observed, indicating co-infection with CMV.Conclusion: This case reinforces the importance of considering KS as a potential diagnosis in all AIDS patients with unusual exophytic growths to avoid potential misdiagnosis and improper management.

Psoriasis is a common inflammatory skin disease with multiple comorbidities, including psoriatic arthritis and coronary artery disease, that can severely impact an individual’s quality of life and daily functioning. In recent years, enhanced understanding of the pathogenesis of psoriasis, especially the role of T helper 17 cells, has resulted in the development of new classes of biologic drugs targeting modulators along its disease pathway. Among these, inhibitors of interleukin-23 (e.g., ustekinumab, guselkumab, tildrakizumab, and risankizumab) have emerged as safe and effective options for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis; ustekinumab and guselkumab have additionally been approved to treat psoriatic arthritis. Selective interleukin-23 inhibitors require less frequent dosing than interleukin-17 inhibitors and may possess a more favorable risk profile without an increased risk of candidiasis or inflammatory bowel disease. Overall, these highly effective medications are contributing to a rising standard for psoriasis outcomes through resolution of skin lesions and joint manifestations and improvement of patient quality of life.

Melanoma is a deadly skin cancer that becomes especially difficult to treat after it metastasizes. Timely identification of melanoma is critical for effective therapy, but histopathologic diagnosis can frequently pose a significant challenge to this goal. Therefore, auxiliary diagnostic tools are imperative to facilitating prompt recognition of malignant lesions. Melanoma develops as result of a number of genetic mutations, with UV radiation often acting as a mutagenic risk factor. Novel methods of genetic testing have improved detection of these molecular alterations, which subsequently revealed important information for diagnosis and prognosis. Rapid detection of genetic alterations is also significant for choosing appropriate treatment and developing targeted therapies for melanoma. This review will delve into the understanding of various mutations and the implications they may pose for clinical decision making.

// Cezary Skobowiat 1, 2, * , Allen S.W. Oak 1, * , Tae-Kang Kim 1 , Chuan He Yang 3 , Lawrence M. Pfeffer 3 , Robert C. Tuckey 4 , Andrzej T. Slominski 1, 5, 6, 7 1 Department of Dermatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL, USA 2 Department of Pharmacodynamics and Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Poland 3 Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and the Center for Cancer Research, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA 4 School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia 5 Laboratory Service of the VA Medical Center, Birmingham, AL, USA 6 Comprehensive Cancer Center Cancer Chemoprevention Program, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL, USA 7 Nutrition Obesity Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL, USA * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Andrzej T. Slominski, email: aslominski@uabmc.edu Keywords: melanoma, pre-clinical, SKMel-188, vitamin D, mice Received: September 09, 2016 Accepted: November 23, 2016 Published: December 26, 2016 ABSTRACT A novel pathway of vitamin D 3 (D 3 ) metabolism, initiated by C20-hydroxylation of D 3 by CYP11A1, has been confirmed to operate in vivo . Its major product, 20(OH)D 3 , exhibits antiproliferative activity in vitro comparable to that of 1,25(OH) 2 D 3, but is noncalcemic in mice and rats. To further characterize the antimelanoma activity of 20(OH)D 3 , we tested its effect on colony formation of human melanoma cells in monolayer culture and anchorage-independent growth in soft agar. The migratory capabilities of the cells and cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions were also evaluated using transwell cell migration and spheroid toxicity assays. To assess the antimelanoma activity of 20(OH)D 3 in vivo , age-matched immunocompromised mice were subcutaneously implanted with luciferase-labelled SKMel-188 cells and were randomly assigned to be treated with either 20(OH)D 3 or vehicle ( n =10 per group). Tumor size was measured with caliper and live bioimaging methods, and overall health condition expressed as a total body score scale. The following results were observed: (i) 20(OH)D 3 inhibited colony formation both in monolayer and soft agar conditions, (ii) 20(OH)D 3 inhibited melanoma cells in both transwell migration and spheroid toxicity assays, and (iii) 20(OH)D 3 inhibited melanoma tumor growth in immunocompromised mice without visible signs of toxicity. However, although the survival rate was 90% in both groups, the total body score was higher in the treatment group compared to control group (2.8 vs. 2.55). In conclusion, 20(OH)D 3 , an endogenously produced secosteroid, is an excellent candidate for further preclinical testing as an antimelanoma agent.

Because the annual incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSCs), both basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas, exceeds that of all other cancers combined, there is a need to understand the mechanisms by which these neoplasms occur in order to develop more effective methods for their prevention and therapy. Most are caused by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation; the discipline of photocarcinogenesis seeks to understand the pathogenesis of UV-induced skin cancers.