No abstract

4.

Background Despite promising results, laser-assisted drug delivery (LADD) is not yet considered as standard therapies and published data rely mainly on laboratory tests, animal experiments or cadaver skin. Objectives This double-blind, prospective, randomized clinical trial investigates the impact in topical application of vitamin C and a cosmeceutical containing growth factors (GFs) on periorbital wrinkles primarily treated with laser skin resurfacing. Material and Methods In total, 149 female patients with periorbital wrinkles were consented and randomized into two study groups, R-C (receiving vitamin C only) and R-CGF (receiving vitamin C and a cosmeceutical containing growth factors). The statistical analysis evaluated the efficacy of each treatment regimen using software readouts provided by a three-dimensional stereophotogrammetry system prior to treatment and three months after the procedure. Results were compared to confirm if there was a significant change in the skin roughness and the average depth of the wrinkles between the two groups after treatment. Results There was a significant reduction in both skin roughness and average depth of the wrinkles in the group treated with vitamin C and growth factors (p <0.01) than those treated with LADD followed by topical application of vitamin C alone. There were no cutaneous reactions or adverse systemic reactions observed in this study related to LADD with vitamin C and GFs. Conclusion Controlled laser application might have a great potential to facilitate the absorption of exogenous macromolecules by the skin. Periorbital wrinkles were reduced in both groups, but LADD using vitamin C and GFs provided significantly better results. Level of Evidence II This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.

Albeit achieving the X-ray diffraction structure of dimeric photosystem II core complexes (dPSIIcc) at the atomic resolution, the nature of the detergent belt surrounding dPSIIcc remains ambiguous. Therefore, the solution structure of the whole detergent−protein complex of dPSIIcc of Thermosynechococcus elongatus (T. elongatus) solubilized in n-dodecyl-ß-D-maltoside (ßDM) was investigated by a combination of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) with contrast variation. First, the structure of dPSIIcc was studied separately in SANS experiments using a contrast of 5% D 2 O. Guinier analysis reveals that the dPSIIcc solution is virtually free of aggregation in the studied concentration range of 2−10 mg/mL dPSIIcc, and characterized by a radius of gyration of 62 Å. A structure reconstitution shows that dPSIIcc in buffer solution widely retains the crystal structure reported by Xray free electron laser studies at room temperature with a slight expansion of the entire protein. Additional SANS experiments on dPSIIcc samples in a buffer solution containing 75% D 2 O provide information about the size and shape of the whole detergent− dPSIIcc. The maximum position of P(r) function increases to 68 Å, i.e., it is about 6 Å larger than that of dPSIIcc only, thus indicating the presence of an additional structure. Thus, it can be concluded that dPSIIcc is surrounded by a monomolecular belt of detergent molecules under appropriate solubilization conditions. The homogeneity of the ßDM−dPSIIcc solutions was also verified using dynamic light scattering. Complementary SAXS experiments indicate the presence of unbound detergent micelles by a separate peak consistent with a spherical shape possessing a radius of about 40 Å. The latter structure also contributes to the SANS data but rather broadens the SANS curve artificially. Without the simultaneous inspection of SANS and SAXS data, this effect may lead to an apparent underestimation of the size of the PS II−detergent complex. The formation of larger unbound detergent aggregates in solution prior to crystallization may have a significant effect on the crystal formation or quality of the ßDM−dPSIIcc.

Background: Scarring can jeopardize the final result of plastic surgeries. Deep dermal injuries activate dermal fibroblasts that produce excessive amount of collagen and 2 inflammatory cytokines and growth factors, which contributes to increased fibrous tissue and scarring tissue formation. Objectives:The aim of this double-blind, prospective, randomised clinical trial was to investigate the use of laser-assisted drug delivery (LADD) for scar improvement to support the establishment of LADD as standard therapy modality and to indicate suitable drugs for dermal administration.Material and Methods: In total, 132 patients seeking scar treatment were consented and randomised. The control group (64 patients) received laser resurfacing immediately followed by skin surface application of Vitamin C and 68 patients received laser treatment followed by skin surface application of a cosmeceutical containing growth factors (GFs) and Vitamin C. Photographs were obtained before and three months after the procedure and submitted to three-dimensional reconstruction by the software Dermapix®. Objective measurements provided by the software were statistically analysed and established the differences in the treatment result between the two groups.Results: There was a significant reduction in scar roughness and volume in both groups (p<0.01). Mann-Whitney test confirmed that the group treated vitamin C and GFs presented significantly better results than the group treated with vitamin C alone (p<0.01). Conclusion:LADD has proven efficient as scars were reduced in both study groups.Furthermore, the addition of growth factors provided statistically significant better outcomes and resulted in more inconspicuous scars. No adverse reactions were observed.