Journal of Skin and Stem Cell
Volume:2 Issue: 4, Dec 2015

reclinical and clinical research has shown that stem cell therapy is a promising therapeutic option for many diseases. This article describes skin stem cells sources and their therapeutic applications.

 Compared with conventional methods, cell therapy reduces the surgical burden for patients because it is simple and less time-consuming. Skin cell therapy has been developed for variety of diseases. By isolation of the skin stem cell from the niche, in vitro expansion and transplantation of cells offers a surprising healing capacity profile.

Stem cells located in skin cells have shown interesting properties such as plasticity, transdifferentiation, and specificity. Mesenchymal cells of the dermis, hypodermis, and other sources are currently being investigated to promote regeneration.

Because skin stem cells are highly accessible from autologous sources and their immunological profile is unique, they are ideal for therapeutic approaches. Optimization of administrative routes requires more investigation own to the lack of a standard protocol.

Pressure ulcer is a common and troublesome complication in patients with spinal cord injury (SPI). The purpose of this case report was to describe the treatment of chronic pressure ulcer in a patient with SPI using low-level laser therapy (LLLT).

The patient was a 45-year-old male with T8 complete paraplegia; he had developed severe pressure ulcer. The authors used LLLT as a complementary treatment. They used 980 nm, continuous 6 J/cm2 for margins and 655 nm, continuous 1.8 J/cm2 for bed of the ulcer, along with intravascular laser therapy. After 24 sessions of LLLT and z-plasty surgery, the ulcer healed completely.

LLLT is effective in tissue regeneration and increasing blood flow; this gives faster healing process of the wounds and faster cell proliferation. This treatment may be effective even in deep pressure ulcers.

Recently topical 3% diclofenac is commonly used to treat actinic keratosis (AK). It is proposed that it may also have a potential effect on hair growth.

Three male patients were visited in the Dermatology department and received treatment with topical 3% diclofenac gel because of scalp AK. All patients also had concomitant androgenetic alopecia (AGA). During the follow-up visits, patients presented terminal hair growth on non-prior haired areas of the scalp. To the authors’ best knowledge, these are the first reported cases of hair growth due to topical diclofenac treatment.

AGA is a heritable, androgen-dependent process. Various hypotheses proposed to explain its causes. Authors hypothesized that the inhibition of the COX-2 shown by diclofenac might act over the perifollicular micro-inflammation and the prostaglandins misbalance observed in the AGA, leading to hair growth. This finding may open further research lines to develop new treatments for AGA.

There are many syndromes presenting with acanthosis nigricans (AN) and insulin resistance. Berardinelli-Seip congenital lipodystrophy (BSCL) is one such rare (1 in 10 million) AR disorder with additional features like generalized cutaneous and visceral lipoatrophy, hypertriglyceridemia, hepatosplenomegaly, cardiomegaly, and acromegaloid physique.

An 18 year-old-boy with normal IQ, presented with dark rugosity of skin since early childhood. He had voracious appetite. Clinical examination revealed AN and generalized loss of subcutaneous fat. Systemic examination was normal. Based on these clinical features, differential diagnosis of BSCL, leprechaunism and Rabson-Mendenhall syndromes (RMS) were considered. He had hyperglycemia (RBS-321 mg/dL), hypertriglyceridemia (274 mg/dL), low HDL (24 mg/dL), and hyperinsulinemia (48.54 μIU/mL). Abdominal ultrasonography showed altered hepatic echogenicity, splenomegaly, and enlarged kidneys. Echocardiography was normal. The Rabson-Mendenhall syndrome was ruled out by the presence of normal growth and absence of ketoacidosis and hypertriglyceridemia. Diagnosis of BSCL was made based on three major criteria, lipoatrophy, and hypertriglyceridemia and insulin resistance. The patient was started on metformin (500 mg BD), and given dietary advice, with significant improvement of AN and blood glucose level.

Metabolic abnormalities in BSCL may prove fatal necessitating optimal therapeutic and preventive measures. Patients are advised low fat diet with enhanced physical activities. Other treatments include metformin, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and leptin replacement for correction of metabolic complications. We report this case of BSCL in view of its rarity.