Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7 agonists are known to reduce allergic airway inflammation. Their recently reported ability to rapidly relax airways has further increased their interest in the treatment of pulmonary disease. However, the mechanisms behind this effect are not fully understood. The present study, therefore, aimed to determine whether airway smooth muscle (ASM)-dependent mechanisms coul...

BACKGROUND Anal cancer is an increasing issue in HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM). Screening for its precursor, anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN), is subject of discussion. Current treatment options are suboptimum and have not been compared in a prospective trial. We compared efficacy and side-effects of imiquimod, topical fluorouracil, and electrocautery for the treatment of AIN...

BACKGROUND Vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) is a premalingnant condition. For long time, surgery was considered the first-line therapy in the treatment of high grade VIN. Imiquimod was recently introduced as an alternative to surgery. AIM To compare the overall complete response, the recurrence rate and the risk factors for relapse among patients with VIN 2/3 treated with Imiquimod or s...

BACKGROUND Although molluscum contagiosum (MC) resolves spontaneously, there are several reasons to treat this dermatological disorder. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the safety and efficacy of 5% imiquimod cream versus 10% potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution in treating MC, and to propose the mechanism of cure by observing the histological findings. METHODS Imiquimod or KOH were applied by the patie...

BACKGROUND Vulval intraepithelial neoplasia is a skin disorder affecting the vulva that, if left untreated, can become cancerous. Currently, the standard treatment for patients with vulval intraepithelial neoplasia is surgery, but this approach does not guarantee cure and can be disfiguring, causing physical and psychological problems, particularly in women of reproductive age. We aimed to asse...

The transcriptional activation of keratinocytes has essential roles for the specific types immune response skin. However, necessary and sufficient conditions in development psoriasis have never been identified. We previously demonstrated that mice lacking TRAF6 specifically are resistant to psoriatic inflammation induced by imiquimod. In addition, we found daily topical treatment with anisomyci...

Like a tourist without a map, tumor-fighting T cells have a hard time finding their destination without directions. According to Clark et al. (page 2221), dismantling these directions helps skin cancer cells hide from killer T cells. To enter the skin, T cells must grab on to the adhesive molecule E-selectin, which is expressed on the endothelial cells lining blood vessels in the skin. The auth...

Like a tourist without a map, tumor-fighting T cells have a hard time finding their destination without directions. According to Clark et al. (page 2221), dismantling these directions helps skin cancer cells hide from killer T cells. To enter the skin, T cells must grab on to the adhesive molecule E-selectin, which is expressed on the endothelial cells lining blood vessels in the skin. The auth...

Photodynamic therapy and imiquimod are highly regarded treatments dermatologists frequently prescribe for actinic keratoses, basal cell carcinoma, and Bowen disease. The scarcity of evidence from comparative trials prevents us from drawing well-founded conclusions about the efficacy, tolerance, and adverse effects of these therapeutic options or to recommend one over the other in any particular...