Female pattern hair loss: A comprehensive review.

Female pattern hair loss is a common form of hair loss in women that increases in incidence with age. The etiology is unknown with numerous factors identified that influence its onset. Female pattern hair loss may be viewed as a marker for an increased risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease. New treatments include microneedling, low-level laser therapy, and autologous fat transfer. This article focuses on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, systemic associations, and current treatments for female pattern hair loss, which is the most common cause of alopecia in women.

Ultraviolet A-1 in Dermatological Diseases.

The exposure to ultraviolet radiations and visible light, or phototherapy, is a well-known therapeutic tool available for the treatment of many dermatological disorders. The continuos medical and technological progresses, of the last 50 years, have involved the field of phototherapy, which evolved from UVA and PUVA in its various forms, to the development of narrowband UVB (NB-UVB) and NB-UVB micro-focused phototherapies. Further advances in technology have now permitted the introduction of a new device emitting UVA-1 radiations.

Psycho-Neuro-Endocrine-Immunology: A Psychobiological Concept.

Psycho-Neuro-Endocrine-Immunology (P.N.E.I.) is a scientific field of study that investigates the link between bidirectional communications among the nervous system, the endocrine system, and the immune system and the correlations of this cross-talk with physical health. The P.N.E.I. innovative medical approach represents a paradigm shift from a strictly biomedical view of health and disease taken as hermetically sealed compartments to a more interdisciplinary one. The key element of P.N.E.I. approach is represented by the concept of bidirectional cross-talk between the psychoneuroendocrine and immune systems. The Low Dose Medicine is one of the most promising approaches able to allow the researchers to design innovative therapeutic strategies for the treatment of skin diseases based on the rebalance of the immune response.

Classification of vitiligo: a challenging endeavor.

The classification of vitiligo is mandatory for clinical and research purposes. Although the etiology and pathobiology of vitiligo remain unknown, a working classification of vitiligo is imperative for the scientific community to communicate. The authors delineate herein their efforts for vitiligo classification utilizing clinical, genetic, pathobiological, epidemiological, and molecular characteristics of vitiligo. These different classification approaches may aid clinicians to identify the most suitable treatment for each individual vitiligo subject.

Metabolic syndrome in vitiligo.

Vitiligo is an acquired, depigmenting skin disease with still unclear, multifactorial etiopathogenesis. However, there is growing evidence that vitiligo affects not only the skin but it may also be connected with metabolic abnormalities, including glucose intolerance and lipid abnormalities, all of which confirms the systemic nature of the disease. Recently, it has been shown that melanocytes, especially those found in the adipose tissue, due to their ability to decrease inflammation and oxidative damage, are capable of preventing the metabolic syndrome. The article presents updated knowledge on potential metabolic disturbances in vitiligo.

Multidisciplinary approach to R&D in vitiligo, a neglected skin disease.

A global interest in therapies for neglected diseases is rising, but traditional biopharma research and development (R&D) process is prohibitively expensive to justify cost of their development. Vitiligo is a multifactorial orphan disease that affects at minimum 35 million people worldwide, yet no therapeutic solutions exist. The present authors describe a budget-minded pursuit of the new therapy development for vitiligo, which includes a multidiscipline collaboration and effective bridging between academic research, biobanking, and bioinformatics. The present authors anticipate that the present authors' "theoretically induced and empirically guided" discovery process will enable development of more leads, with a much greater probability of success and under tighter budgets compared with those of the biopharma company. Ultimately, the multidisciplinary approach described below facilitates the collaborative development of personalized treatments for different patient subpopulations in vitiligo and other neglected diseases.

Vitiligo road map.

Vitiligo is a depigmenting disorder stemming from melanocyte loss or dysfunction. It has a complex, multifaceted etiology. We constructed a "vitiligo road map," consisting of basic science, clinical, and treatment components, in order to better portray our current understanding of vitiligo pathogenesis and reflect upon novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for future research. The melanocyte map elaborates on the molecular processes and intracellular signaling pathways initiated by various external autocrine/paracrine factors in representing normal melanocyte homeostatic functions modulating its viability, proliferation, differentiation, dendricity, migration, and melanogenic processes. This vitiligo map identifies known inducers/triggers of vitiligo onset and progression that cultivate a microenvironment for melanocyte disappearance, real or functional. This map describes the molecular mechanisms of currently utilized clinical and experimental treatments of vitiligo that facilitate repigmentation.

Treatments of vitiligo: what's new at the horizon.

Vitiligo is a manageable disease. However, current vitiligo treatments can be considered suboptimal as they do not guarantee high efficacy and cannot be standardized for most patients. Recently, combination therapies have been introduced in order to obtain better results and reduce risks in the management of the disease. Novel efficacious products are hereunder discussed to improve the therapeutic options for vitiligo patients.