Clinical and Histological Effects of Topical Epidermal Growth Factor on Acne and Acne Scars

Modern techniques in addressing facial acne scars: A thorough analysis

BACKGROUND

Facial acne scars are a prevalent concern, leading to the development of various treatment modalities.

OBJECTIVES

This review aims to explore the latest advancements in the treatment of facial acne scars, focusing on both surgical and non-surgical methods.

METHODS

The non-surgical treatments reviewed include topical medications (such as retinoids and alpha hydroxy acids) and non-invasive procedures (like microdermabrasion and chemical peels). Surgical options discussed are punch excision, subcision, and fractional laser treatments.

RESULTS

Combination therapy, integrating both surgical and non-surgical approaches, is frequently utilized to achieve optimal results in scar improvement.

CONCLUSION

Recent advancements in the treatment of facial acne scars provide promising options for individuals seeking improvement. However, these treatments have associated risks and potential adverse effects, highlighting the importance of consulting a dermatologist before beginning any treatment regimen.

Meconopsis quintuplinervia Regel Improves Cutibacterium acnes-Induced Inflammatory Responses in a Mouse Ear Edema Model and Suppresses Pro-Inflammatory Chemokine Production via the MAPK and NF-κB Pathways in RAW264.7 Cells

BACKGROUND

Acne vulgaris (AV) is a common adolescent skin condition which is mainly caused by Cutibacterium acnes overcolonization and subsequent inflammation.

OBJECTIVE

Our previous studies demonstrated that ethanol extracts of Meconopsis quintuplinervia Regel (EMQ) possess significant antimicrobial properties. However, their protective effects and potential mechanisms against AV remain unclear.

METHODS

In the present study, the EMQ treatment potential for AV was evaluated in a C. acnes-induced mouse ear edema model, and the EMQ anti-inflammatory mechanism was evaluated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 macrophage cells.

RESULTS

The results showed that EMQ alleviated edema formation and inflammatory cell infiltration in an acne mouse model by suppressing inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor α expression. Moreover, EMQ inhibited the phosphorylation of MAP kinases (MAPKs) such as p38, JNK, and ERK, the phosphorylation and degradation of IκB-α and the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65 in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest the potent anti-inflammatory activity of EMQ is possibly through the regulation of the MAPKs and NF-κB signaling pathways. Inhibition of C. acnes activity combined with a powerful anti-inflammatory effect of EMQ indicated its potential as a novel therapeutic option for AV.

Automated Facial Acne Lesion Detecting and Counting Algorithm for Acne Severity Evaluation and Its Utility in Assisting Dermatologists

BACKGROUND

Although lesion counting is an evaluation method that effectively analyzes facial acne severity, its usage is limited because of difficult implementation.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to develop and validate an automated algorithm that detects and counts acne lesions by type, and to evaluate its clinical applicability as an assistance tool through a reader test.

METHODS

A total of 20,699 lesions (closed and open comedones, papules, nodules/cysts, and pustules) were manually labeled on 1213 facial images of 398 facial acne photography sets (frontal and both lateral views) acquired from 258 patients and used for training and validating algorithms based on a convolutional neural network for classifying five classes of acne lesions or for binary classification into noninflammatory and inflammatory lesions.

RESULTS

In the validation dataset, the highest mean average precision was 28.48 for the binary classification algorithm. Pearson's correlation of lesion counts between algorithm and ground-truth was 0.72 (noninflammatory) and 0.90 (inflammatory), respectively. In the reader test, eight readers (100.0%) detected and counted lesions more accurately using the algorithm compared with the reader-alone evaluation.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, our algorithm demonstrated clinically applicable performance in detecting and counting facial acne lesions by type and its utility as an assistance tool for evaluating acne severity.

The use of epidermal growth factor in dermatological practice

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is a growth factor that plays a pivotal role in wound healing and maintaining tissue homeostasis by regulating cell survival, proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Exogenous administration of bioidentical human recombinant epidermal growth factor (rhEGF) has been known to promote skin wound healing, although rhEGF is increasingly being used in drug delivery systems and nanotechnology. However, despite considerable attention being focused on the potential clinical applications of rhEGF in several dermatological conditions beyond wound healing, the number of studies still remains relatively low. Herein, we conducted a literature search of PubMed/Medline and Google Scholar databases to retrieve published literature related to rhEGF and summarised the effects of rhEGF in the treatment of various wound types, radiotherapy or chemotherapy-related skin reactions, atopic dermatitis, skin aging, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.