Search

Longevity medicine is an emerging and iterative healthcare discipline focusing on early detection, preventive measures, and personalized approaches that aim to extend healthy lifespan and promote healthy aging. This comprehensive review introduces the innovative concept of the " Longevity Pyramid ." This conceptual framework delineates progressive intervention levels, providing a structured approach to understanding the diverse strategies available in longevity medicine. At the base of the Longevity Pyramid lies the level of prevention, emphasizing early detection strategies and advanced diagnostics or timely identification of potential health issues. Moving upwards, the next step involves lifestyle modifications, health-promoting behaviors, and proactive measures to delay the onset of age-related conditions. The Longevity Pyramid further explores the vast range of personalized interventions, highlighting the importance of tailoring medical approaches based on genetic predispositions, lifestyle factors, and unique health profiles, thereby optimizing interventions for maximal efficacy. These interventions aim to extend lifespan and reduce the impact and severity of age-related conditions, ensuring that additional years are characterized by vitality and wellbeing. By outlining these progressive levels of intervention, this review offers valuable insights into the evolving field of longevity medicine. This structured framework guides researchers and practitioners toward a nuanced strategic approach to advancing the science and practice of healthy aging., Competing Interests: Authors AM, MM, EN, NM, TR, and ER were employed by Maximon AG. MM was employed by Avea Life. NT and LB were employed by AYUN. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Martinović, Mantovani, Trpchevska, Novak, Milev, Bode, Ewald, Bischof, Reichmuth, Lapides, Navarini, Saravi and Roider.)

Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) is a master regulator of melanocyte function, development and plays a significant role in melanoma pathogenesis. MITF genomic amplification promotes melanoma development, and it can facilitate resistance to multiple therapies. Here, we show that MITF regulates a global antioxidant program that increases survival of melanoma cell lines by protecting the cells from reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced damage. In addition, this redox program is correlated with MITF expression in human melanoma cell lines and patient-derived melanoma samples. Using a zebrafish melanoma model, we show that MITF decreases ROS-mediated DNA damage in vivo. Some of the MITF target genes involved, such as IDH1 and NNT, are regulated through direct MITF binding to canonical enhancer box (E-BOX) sequences proximal to their promoters. Utilizing functional experiments, we demonstrate the role of MITF and its target genes in reducing cytosolic and mitochondrial ROS. Collectively, our data identify MITF as a significant driver of the cellular antioxidant state., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The incidence of cutaneous melanoma continues to rise despite the increased use of sunscreens within the last several decades. Some research even suggests that the use of sunscreen is associated with increased rates of melanoma. Given the aggressive, and often deadly, nature of cutaneous melanoma, the aim of this communication is to better elucidate the relationship between sunscreen use and melanoma development and if there are other preventative measures to be aware of. A search was performed to identify the studies that have investigated melanoma development in individuals who used sunscreen and those who did not. Study limitations and possible confounding variables were identified, which guided a subsequent search to determine what data were available to support that these limitations and confounding variables may explain the perplexing association between sunscreen use and melanoma development. Five hypotheses were generated, which were related to increased awareness and reporting, the relationship between sunscreen use and the duration of sun exposure, the importance of broad-spectrum protection, and the effect of sunscreen on reactive oxygen species formation. The main conclusion is that more recent studies that control for confounding variables are required to determine the true effect of adequate broad-spectrum sunscreen use today on the development of melanoma.

A 4-year-old boy presented with blistering on his face and distal upper and lower extremities. Subepidermal blisters containing neutrophils and eosinophils visualized on histology supported the diagnosis of linear IgA bullous dermatosis of childhood (LABDC). The dermatosis presents with vesicles and tense blisters in an annular distribution, erythematous papules, and/or excoriated plaques. Histopathology shows subepidermal blisters with a neutrophilic infiltrate in the dermis, mainly concentrated at the tips of dermal papillae in the early stage of the disease, which can be mistaken for the pattern of neutrophilic infiltration as seen in dermatitis herpetiformis. Dapsone is the treatment of choice, which is started at a dosage of 0.5mg/kg/day. Linear IgA bullous dermatosis of childhood is a rare autoimmune disease that can be mistaken for other conditions with similar presentations but should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of children with blistering.

Onychomycosis is the most common nail disease encountered in clinical practice. Its importance extends well beyond aesthetics, often causing pain, difficulty with ambulation and performing daily activities, and impairing quality of life. Many patients fail to achieve cure with antifungal monotherapy and recurrences are common. Combination therapy has therefore gained considerable interest, given the potential for drug synergy and prevention of antifungal resistance, but it has not been well studied. A systematic review of onychomycosis medication only, as well as medication and procedural (laser, debridement, photodynamic therapy), clinical or randomized controlled trials evaluating combination vs. monotherapies was performed. After exclusions, 30 studies were included in the final analysis. There were conflicting results for medication-only trials, with some showing significant benefit of combination therapy over monotherapy, however, trials were not robustly designed and lacked sufficient follow-up. Procedural studies also lacked long-term follow-up, and failed to demonstrate efficacy in some severe onychomycosis cases. Considering the high cure rates demonstrated in pivotal antifungal monotherapy trials, and conflicting results, costs, and safety concerns associated with combination therapy, we recommend that combination therapy be reserved as second-line treatment options in patients with poor prognostic factors or for those who failed monotherapy for onychomycosis.