Ulrich R. Hengge Book order

Tacrolimus ointment is licensed for the topical treatment of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis in patients who are not adequately responsive to or are intolerant of conventional therapies such as topical corticosteroids. There are many immune-mediated skin diseases that are commonly difficult to manage with conventional therapy and often no general and standardized treatment algorithms exist. This book from international experts summarizes the latest evidence of special treatment indications in which tacrolimus ointment has been investigated in clinical trials, accompanied by individual case reports from the own clinical practice. Keywords: -Tacrolimus ointment -Topical immunmodulation -Immune-mediated skin diseases -Special treatment indications -Clinical experience Target group: Dermatologists

Imiquimod belongs to the class of topical response modifiers. It influences both the innate and acquired immune defense systems through stimulation of Toll-like receptor 7. With its antiviral and antineoplastic action, Imiquimod cream alters local immunity in the Skin in the area of application. Imiquimod cream has been approved for the treatment of condylomata acuminate, superficial basal cell carcinoma, and actinic keratosis. This volume provides a clear description of these clinical pictures

Significant progress has been made in gene technology and skin gene therapy in the last few years. Besides the development of suitable animal models, novel molecular technologies such as small inhibitory RNA are discussed, which enable the modification of sequence-specific gene expression. Progress is reported in the field of DNA vaccination against HIV-1 as well as in the correction of xeroderma pigmentosum using retroviral-based gene transfer. In addition to gene technology and skin gene therapy, recent advances in molecular diagnostics of malignancy are described. Microarray-based gene expression profiling is a powerful technology with which up to 22,000 genes can simultaneously be analyzed in a given tissue. It is used today by several groups to characterize malignant melanoma and other tumors on a molecular level, identifying important dysregulated pathways and gene products and comparing them with those of normal human melanocytes and benign nevi. Providing an overview of the latest techniques and achievements in the field, this publication is recommended to dermatologists, geneticists, bioengineers, cell biologists and immunologists, and anyone interested in learning more about new molecular approaches in biomedicine.

Basic concepts and recent advances in the field In recent years the skin has become an important target organ of gene technology and gene therapy. Its easy accessibility, well-established culture conditions and grafting techniques, as well as its function as an immune organ make it a promising candidate for the development of innovative treatment strategies. This special issue of Cells Tissues Organs gives an overview of the latest achievements in the field of skin gene therapy focusing on basic research and initial preclinical applications. It describes novel techniques of generating epidermal equivalents from hair follicle cells, the reaction of keratinocytes to exogenous DNA, and the genetic engineering of skin to be used as a bioreactor or a `metabolic sink' in the treatment of metabolic disorders. Further potential applications of skin gene therapy include the treatment of chronic wounds, hypertrophic scars, keloids, and cancer, as well as its role in soft tissue reconstruction. Since gene therapy is a truly interdisciplinary field, this publication is recommended reading not only for dermatologists, geneticists, bioengineers, cell biologists and immunologists, but also for clinicians with an interest in cancer, metabolic diseases, skin biology and tissue engineering.

Basic Aspects.- 1 The Epidermal Barrier and Strategies for Surmounting It: An Overview.- 2 Stem Cells, Differentiation and Renewal Kinetics of Keratinocytes: Implications for Cutaneous Gene Therapy.- 3 Relevant Animal Models for Skin Gene Therapy.- 4 Nonviral Gene Transfer into the Skin.- 5 Safety and Pharmacokinetics of Naked Plasmid DNA: Studies on Dissemination and Ectopic Expression.- 6 Uptake of DNA by Keratinocytes.- Treatment of Skin Diseases.- Gene Therapy of Inherited Skin Diseases.- Gene Transfer Strategies in Tissue Repair.- Systemic Effects of Skin Gene Therapy.- The Use of Skin-Directed Gene Therapy in the Treatment of Systemic Diseases.- Keratinocyte Gene Therapy Using Cytokine Genes.- Genetic Vaccination Using the Skin.- Principles of Genetic Immunization.- Systematic Modulation of Immune Responses by CpG DNA.- Genetic and Dendritic Cell Vaccination as a Novel Therapy for Melanoma.- Molecular Strategies Interfering with Tumor Progression of Melanoma and Improving Anti-Tumor Immunity.- Prophylactic and Therapeutic DNA Vaccines Against Infectious Diseases.