Halcinonide 0.1% cream

Background Neurodermatitis, a prevalent neuropsychiatric dermatological disorder, is characterized by severe and paroxysmal pruritus, as well as skin lichenification. This chronic condition follows a prolonged and progressive course, with recurring episodes that persist for several years without resolution. Furthermore, there is a significant probability of relapse after remission, greatly affecting the patients’ quality of life and overall satisfaction. Aims This study aims to formulate Piyanling Liniment and evaluate its clinical efficacy in comparison with Halcinonide Solution for the treatment of neurodermatitis. Patients and methods Piyanling Liniment, a prescription formulation incorporating resorcinol, salicylic acid, fluocinolone acetate, and borneol as its primary constituents, was formulated. A randomized controlled trial was conducted involving 100 patients diagnosed with neurodermatitis seeking treatment at the outpatient dermatology department of our hospital. The patients were divided into two groups: the Piyanling Liniment group, comprising 50 patients treated with Piyanling Liniment, and the Halcinonide Solution group, comprising 50 patients treated with Halcinonide Solution. Both groups applied the respective treatments twice daily at a dosage of 0.5 ml/cm 2 . Clinical symptoms, including the skin lesion area, skin lesion degree, pruritus degree, and pigmentation degree, were assessed before treatment and after 4, 7, 10, and 14 days of treatment to evaluate therapeutic efficacy and compare the occurrence of adverse drug reactions. Results After 14 days of treatment, it was observed that Piyanling Liniment exhibited superior therapeutic efficacy in terms of reducing skin lesions, alleviating pruritus, and restoring pigmentation compared with Halcinonide Solution, with a total effective rate of 98.0 and 92.0% in the respective groups. The occurrence of adverse drug reactions was 4.0 and 2.0% in the Piyanling Liniment and Halcinonide Solution groups, respectively. Based on the comprehensive analysis, a significant statistical difference in treatment outcomes was observed between the two patient cohorts ( P 0.05). Conclusion The formulation procedure of Piyanling Liniment is uncomplicated, demonstrating a favorable safety profile and noteworthy efficacy in the treatment of neurodermatitis. Piyanling Liniment demonstrates promising clinical outcomes, primarily through the reduction of skin lesions, alleviation of pruritus, and restoration of pigmentation. Consequently, it presents itself as a viable therapeutic option for individuals seeking relief from symptoms associated with neurodermatitis.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

One of the key challenges in ecological risk assessment lies in identifying the chemicals that pose the greatest threat and determining the species that are most vulnerable to their effects. Computational prediction of protein binding affinity can help in assessing the risk of chemicals to species. In this study we developed and validated an open-source tool called BARMIE (Binding Affinity Ranking at the Molecular Initiating Event) to rank chemical hazards and identify species that are most susceptible based on the binding affinity of the chemical to steroid receptor proteins. As an exemplar of BARMIE’s output we focus on 163 teleost fish glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) and the natural ligand cortisol and 10 synthetic glucocorticoid (GCs) drugs and five other potential chemical GR agonists. The hazard ranking is based on the likelihood that the chemicals with the highest binding affinity are likely to outcompete cortisol at the receptor binding site. In this analysis, halcinonide, a GC, was predicted to be the most hazardous based on its binding affinity and the superorder Protacanthopterygii species, including the Esociformes and Salmoniformes, were identified as the most vulnerable. This computational pipeline can be expanded to evaluate more chemicals, species, and proteins as part of an in silico chemical hazard assessment tool

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC

One of the causes of permanent disability in chronic multiple sclerosis patients is the inability of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) to terminate their maturation program at lesions. To identify key regulators of myelin gene expression acting at the last stages of OPC maturation we developed a drug repositioning strategy based on the mouse immortalized oligodendrocyte (OL) cell line Oli-neu brought to the premyelination stage by stably expressing a key factor regulating the last stages of OL maturation. The Prestwick Chemical Library of 1,200 FDA-approved compound(s) was repositioned at three dosages based on the induction of Myelin Basic Protein (MBP) expression. Drug hits were further validated using dosage-dependent reproducibility tests and biochemical assays. The glucocorticoid class of compounds was the most highly represented and we found that they can be divided in three groups according to their efficacy on MBP up-regulation. Since target identification is crucial before bringing compounds to the clinic, we searched for common targets of the primary screen hits based on their known chemical-target interactomes, and the pathways predicted by top ranking compounds were validated using specific inhibitors. Two of the top ranking compounds, Halcinonide and Clobetasol, act as Smoothened (Smo) agonists to up-regulate myelin gene expression in the Oli-neuM cell line. Further, RxRγ activation is required for MBP expression upon Halcinonide and Clobetasol treatment. These data indicate Clobetasol and Halcinonide as potential promyelinating drugs and also provide a mechanistic understanding of their mode of action in the pathway leading to myelination in OPCs. Furthermore, our classification of glucocorticoids with respect to MBP expression provides important novel insights into their effects in the CNS and a rational criteria for their choice in combinatorial therapies in de-myelinating diseases.

Abstract licence: CC BY 4.0

Lichen sclerosis (LS) is an insidious, chronic, relapsing skin disease characterized by atrophic, porcelain-appearing plaques. It usually arises in the anogenital area, but some cases can present in extragenital regions with a variety of presentations, including a bullous variant. Topical corticosteroids are a first-line therapy and are usually the most effective treatment to induce remission of LS. However, there is a subset of patients that does not respond well to topical steroids. Herein, we report an extragenital bullous LS case successfully treated with a fractional CO2 laser (FxCO2) and subsequent wet dressing of halcinonide solution.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC 3.0