308-nm excimer laser in the treatment of a localized recalcitrant form of perioral dermatitis: Case report

In the last two decades, 308-nm excimer laser has been increasingly recognized as a therapeutic alternative for several dermatological conditions, being currently FDA approved for the treatment of localized vitiligo and moderately severe localized psoriasis unresponsive to topical treatments. We describe the case of a 17-year-old with a recalcitrant form of dermatitis occupying the entire perioral region, previously unresponsive to several treatments, who was treated with 308-nm excimer laser with an excellent result. 308-nm monochromatic excimer laser has several advantages over other types of phototherapy, including lower UV dose exposure, shorter courses of therapy and a better sparing of adjacent tissue. Although infrequently used, 308-nm excimer laser certainly has a vast potential in Dermatology, particularly regarding recalcitrant and localized inflammatory conditions, such as the one we present.

In vitro Characterization of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Intravenous Immunoglobulins (IVIg) Produced From Plasma of Donors Immunized With the BNT162b2 Vaccine and Its Comparison With a Similar Formulation Produced From Plasma of COVID-19 Convalescent Donors

Despite vaccines are the main strategy to control the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, their effectiveness could not be enough for individuals with immunosuppression. In these cases, as well as in patients with moderate/severe COVID-19, passive immunization with anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulins could be a therapeutic alternative. We used caprylic acid precipitation to prepare a pilot-scale batch of anti-SARS-CoV-2 intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) from plasma of donors immunized with the BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) anti-COVID-19 vaccine (VP-IVIg) and compared their in vitro efficacy and safety with those of a similar formulation produced from plasma of COVID-19 convalescent donors (CP-IVIg). Both formulations showed immunological, physicochemical, biochemical, and microbiological characteristics that meet the specifications of IVIg formulations. Moreover, the concentration of anti-RBD and ACE2-RBD neutralizing antibodies was higher in VP-IVIg than in CP-IVIg. In concordance, plaque reduction neutralization tests showed inhibitory concentrations of 0.03–0.09 g/L in VP-IVIg and of 0.06–0.13 in CP-IVIg. Thus, VP-IVIg has in vitro efficacy and safety profiles that justify their evaluation as therapeutic alternative for clinical cases of COVID-19. Precipitation with caprylic acid could be a simple, feasible, and affordable alternative to produce formulations of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IVIg to be used therapeutically or prophylactically to confront the COVID-19 pandemic in middle and low-income countries.

Intraperitoneal Administration of Forskolin Reverses Motor Symptoms and Loss of Midbrain Dopamine Neurons in PINK1 Knockout Rats

Background: sParkinson’s disease (PD) is a relentless, chronic neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive loss of substantia nigra (SN) neurons that leads to the onset of motor and non-motor symptoms. Standard of care for PD consists of replenishing the loss of dopamine through oral administration of Levodopa; however, this treatment is not disease-modifying and often induces intolerable side effects. While the etiology that contributes to PD is largely unknown, emerging evidence in animal models suggests that a significant reduction in neuroprotective Protein Kinase A (PKA) signaling in the SN contributes to PD pathogenesis, suggesting that restoring PKA signaling in the midbrain may be a new anti-PD therapeutic alternative. Objective: We surmised that pharmacological activation of PKA via intraperitoneal administration of Forskolin exerts anti-PD effects in symptomatic PTEN-induced kinase 1 knockout (PINK1-KO), a bone fide in vivo model of PD. Methods: By using a beam balance and a grip strength analyzer, we show that Forskolin reverses motor symptoms and loss of hindlimb strength with long-lasting therapeutic effects (> 5 weeks) following the last dose. Results: In comparison, intraperitoneal treatment with Levodopa temporarily (24 h) reduces motor symptoms but unable to restore hindlimb strength in PINK1-KO rats. By using immunohistochemistry and an XF24e BioAnalyzer, Forskolin treatment reverses SN neurons loss, elevates brain energy production and restores PKA activity in SN in symptomatic PINK1-KO rats. Conclusion: Overall, our collective in vivo data suggest that Forskolin is a promising disease-modifying therapeutic alternative for PD and is superior to Levodopa because confers long-lasting therapeutic effects.