Sol-Gel - Therapeutic areas

Acne Vulgaris

Acne Vulgaris is a common skin disease that affects approximately 40-50 million people in the United States,
according to the american Academy of Dermatology.

Acne occurs most frequently during childhood and adolescence (affecting 80-85% of all adolescents)
but it may also appear in some individual adults.

Acne patients suffer from the appearance of lesions on areas of the body with a large concentration of oil glands, such as the face, chest, neck and back. These lesions can be inflamed (papules, pustules, nodules) and non-inflamed (comedones).
Acne has a profound effect on patients' quality of life: the appearance of lesions may cause psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety and lowered self-esteem of the patient.
Also, acne lesions may cause permanent scarring.

There are four major factors that contribute to the emergence of acne lesions:

Stimulated sebaceous gland, resulting in excess production of sebum.
Blockage of hair follicles due to abnormal keratinization.
Proliferation of Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) within the clogged hair follicles.
Inflammatory response by a variety of immune cell types.

Acne may be also triggered by factors like stress, excessive sweating, use of oily cosmetic
products and diet.

Rosacea

Rosacea is a chronic skin disease that first appears as redness on the cheeks, nose, chin or forehead. In later stages of the disease, the redness becomes more persistent, blood vessels become visible and pimples often appear. In severe cases, thickening and swelling of the nose may occur. Other symptoms that patients may experience are burning, stinging, dry skin, plaques and skin thickening.

Rosacea affects 16 million people in the United States and 40 million people worldwide,

according to the National Rosacea Society. It is most prevalent in people aged 20-50 and is more common in women than men.

There are four subtypes of Rosacea:

Erythematotelangiectatic: Persistent facial redness, visible blood vessels.
Papulopostular: Facial redness accompanied by pimples and bumps.
Phymatous: Thickening of facial skin and swelling of the nose.
Ocular: Conditions such as dry eye, stinging, tearing, styes, bloodshot eyes A rosacea patient may experience symptoms of several subtypes at the same time.

Apart from physical symptoms, rosacea patients may suffer from low self-esteem, low self-confidence, frustration and embarrassment as a result of their appearance and swollen eyelids.

The cause of rosacea is not known, but there are plenty of factors that can trigger the disease, such as sun exposure, stress, hot/cold weather, wind, heavy exercise, alcohol, spicy foods and many others.

Tinea Pedis

Tinea pedis (commonly known as Athlete's Foot) is a chronic fungal infection of the feet, caused by fungi called dermatophytes.
The disease is very common, affecting 70% of population at some point in their life. It is most frequent in adults aged 31-60.

As dermatophytes thrive in warm and moist environment, they are especially common around swimming pools, showers and in locker rooms. The three main dermatophytes that are responsible for most tinea pedis infections are trichophyton rubrum, trichophyton mentagrophytes and epidermophyton floccosum.

Symptoms of tinea pedis include itching, scaling, redness, maceration, blisters and vesicles.

Tinea pedis is highly contagious and can be transmitted by direct contact with infected skin or by indirect contact, such as shared towels or socks with an infected person or walking barefoot in communal areas (showers, locker rooms). Once an area of the foot has been infected with tinea pedis, it can infect other areas. Excessive sweating and occlusive footwear may contribute to the chances of being infected with tinea pedis and exasperate the condition once infected.

There are three types of tinea pedis:

Interdigital: redness, itching, scaling, fissuring and maceration between the toes, usually between the 4th and the 5th. Often accompanied by malodor. It is the most common form of tinea pedis.
Moccasin: itching, scaling and redness covering the bottom and sides of the foot.
Vesiculobullous: itching, redness, scaling covering the bottom of the foot,

accompanied by blisters and vesicles forming on the instep and adjacent plantar

surfaces of the foot.

It is possible for a patient to experience a combination of different types of tinea pedis simultaneously.