The Rosacea Research Digest from the National Rosacea Society keeps you up to date on recently published basic and clinical research on rosacea, as well as news, reviews, and presentations. It goes out on the last weekday of each month.

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Research

Activation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor ameliorates degranulation of LL-37 induced mast cells in rosacea through enhancing autophagy.

Chen S, Hu H, Wu J, et al. Int Immunopharmacol. 2025 Jan 27;146:113910. Epub 2024 Dec 29. doi:10.1016/j.intimp.2024.113910. PMID: 39736238.

Background: Activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) ameliorates LL-37-induced rosacea-like dermatitis in mice, whereas mast cells and cytokine overexpression are prominent features in rosacea skin. Objective: To evaluate the potential mechanisms of AhR activation on autophagy and degranulation of mast cells in rosacea. Methods: LL-37 treated mast cells were used to mimic rosacea. An AhR agonist (tapinarof) was applied to LL-37 induced mast cells. Furthermore, an autophagy agonist (RAPA) and an inhibitor (CQ) was added to investigate the mechanisms of autophagy. Western blot and RT-qPCR assessed cell degranulation (Cma1, Tpsab1) and cytokines (MMP9, TNF-α, and IL-6). Changes in cell morphology were observed under a microscope. Autophagy markers (LC3 and p62) were examined using Western blot and cellular immunofluorescence. Results: LL-37 upregulated the expressions of Cma1, Tpsab1, MMP9, TNF-α, and IL-6, which were then reduced by tapinarof treatment for 24 h. LC3B-I was converted to LC3B-II and p62 was reduced gradually with increasing concentration of tapinarof, indicating that autophagy was enhanced. RAPA enhanced the expression of LC3B-II on LL-37-induced mast cells, similar to tapinarof, while CQ partially inhibited the ability of tapinarof to induce autophagy in mast cells. Moreover, CQ reversed tapinarof's suppression of Cma1, Tpsab1, MMP9, TNF-α and IL-6 on LL-37 treated mast cells. Conclusion: The present study showed that activation of AhR ameliorated degranulation of LL-37-induced mast cells in rosacea through enhancing autophagy, offering a new option for rosacea treatment.

Comparing prescription drug saving platforms for dermatology: a cost analysis of Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs, GoodRx, and Amazon RxPass.

Perry NJ, Barbieri JS. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2025 Jan 23:S0190-9622(25)00125-2. Epub ahead of print. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2025.01.045. PMID: 39863169.

High medication costs and prior authorization processes often lead to non-adherence and worse clinical outcomes, disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations. To combat high retail pharmacy prices of generic drugs, prescription drug cost-saving platforms such as Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs (MCCPD) and Amazon RxPass have emerged, aiming to make medications more accessible and pricing more transparent, even for uninsured patients. GoodRx (website and app) provides discount coupons and price comparisons at pharmacies, while Cost Plus Drugs offers an online, direct-to-consumer model with transparent pricing and minimal markups. However, little is known about which of these platforms may be most useful for dermatologic indications.

Investigation of corneal topographic and ocular surface parameters in ocular rosacea based on skin subtypes.

Yesilirmak N, Yuzbasioglu S, Saritas O, et al. J Fr Ophtalmol. 2025 Jan 10;48(3):104403. Epub ahead of print. doi:10.1016/j.jfo.2024.104403. PMID: 39798300.

Objective: To compare the corneal topographic parameters and ocular surface parameters of ocular rosacea (OR) patients across skin subtypes of the disease and healthy controls. Methods: This prospective study included 180 eyes of 90 OR patients and 60 eyes of 30 healthy controls. Among the OR patients, 30 had phymatous (60 eyes), 30 had erythematotelangiectatic (60 eyes) and 30 had papulopustular skin types (60 eyes). We measured the mean keratometry (Kmean), maximum keratometry (Kmax), thinnest corneal thickness (TCT), central corneal thickness (CCT) and corneal volume (CV) with a topography device (Sirius, Italy). Additionally, we measured tear-film breakup time (TBUT), Meiboscore and Schirmer's test from all participants. We compared parameters across OR skin groups as well as with controls. Results: Kmean and Kmax were significantly steeper in the OR group compared to controls (p<0.05). We found significant correlations between "Kmean-Kmax", "CV-TCT", "CV-CCT", and "TCT-CCT" in both groups, while significant correlations between "age-Kmean", "age-Kmax", and "Meiboscore-Kmax" were present only in OR patients. When patients were divided into subgroups according to their skin subtypes, the papulopustular and phymatous subgroups had steeper Kmean and Kmax compared to the erythematotelangiectatic and control groups (P<0.05). The papulopustular subgroup had lower CCT, lower TBUT and higher Meiboscore compared to the phymatous, erythematotelangiectatic and control groups but lower TCT compared to controls (P<0.05). In addition, there were significant correlations between "Kmax-CV", "Kmax-TCT", and "Kmax-meiboscore" only in the papulopustular subgroup (P<0.05). Conclusion: It appears that the corneas of OR patients are steeper than those of healthy controls; corneal thinning and abnormalities of ocular surface parameters are more pronounced in papulopustular skin types.