YoungHwan Choi

Background: Numerous novel medications are being developed to treat moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD), notably biologics and Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKis). However, the exact guideline for the first determination of which medication has not been established yet. This study was conducted to identify patients who would show favorable clinical results from using JAKis. Methods: Based on the degree of improvement in EASI at 16 weeks, 43 patients were divided into three groups: Group 1 (EASI-90), Group 2 (EASI-75), and Group 3 (EASI-50). Results: Compared to Group 1 and Group 2, Group 3 exhibited a significantly higher rate of multiple positive results in MAST (p-value = 0.005, p-value = 0.004), a greater proportion of individuals with higher IgE levels exceeding 1000 (p-value = 0.003, p-value = 0.027), and the presence of allergic comorbidities (p-value = 0.049, p-value = 0.026). However, baseline laboratory test results, such as eosinophil counts, LDH, and so on, showed no significant differences among the three groups. Conclusions: JAKis might provide prompt clinical improvement, especially in patients with relatively low serum Ig E levels who do not have multiple allergen positivities and allergic comorbidities.

Research on keloid is limited by the lack of proper in vitro and animal model reflecting in vivo status. Based on heterogeneity of keloid and important role of endothelial cells in its pathogenesis, a novel 3D in vitro keloid spheroid prepared with keloid fibroblasts and endothelial cells was evaluated in this study. Commercial cell lines of keloid fibroblasts and endothelial cells were used at various cellular ratios to generate keloid spheroids to determine the optimal condition. Keloid spheroids from three keloid patients were also made and their usefulness as in vitro models, including their responses to drugs, were assessed. Spheroids with higher endothelial cell proportions exhibited increased viability and propagation ability. Patient-derived keloid spheroids showed heterogeneity which might reflect individual clinical conditions. The optimal ratio of fibroblasts to endothelial cells was determined to be 4:1 for keloid spheroids based on gene expression and viability analyses. Patient-derived keloid spheroid showed better keloidal changes in genetic expressions than 2D monolayer culture. Spheroids exhibited varied responses and resistance to each drug used for keloids, depending on the cell type used. 3D keloid spheroids might provide an effective in vitro model for investigating disease pathogenesis and appropriate treatment modalities for future precision medicine.

Park JH, et al. Ann Dermatol. 2024 Aug;36:e57. https://doi.org/10.5021/ad.23.103

Park JH, et al. Ann Dermatol. 2020 Aug;32(4):337-342. https://doi.org/10.5021/ad.2020.32.4.337

Melanoma can develop in a congenital melanocytic nevus (CMN). In fact, a large CMN is associated with a high risk of developing melanoma. Although melanomas arising from CMNs are thought to have a pathogenesis distinct from conventional melanomas, no studies have been conducted on the evolution or tumor heterogeneity of CMN melanomas. We applied multi‐region whole‐exome sequencing to investigate the clonal nature of driver events and evolutionary processes in CMNs and melanomas arising from CMNs. In two patients, we observed an independent subclonal evolution in cancerized fields of CMNs and chromosome 8q amplification in both melanomas arising from CMNs. The amplification of MYC, located in chromosome 8q, was correlated with the percentage of tumor cells expressing high levels of MYC protein detected in melanoma cells by immunohistochemistry. Our analysis suggests that each CMN cell may evolve sporadically and that amplification of MYC might be a key event for melanoma development in CMNs.

Oh SJ, et al. Ann Dermatol. 2019 Jun;31(3):345-347. https://doi.org/10.5021/ad.2019.31.3.345