Introduction: Nephrilin peptide is a designed inhibitor of Rictor complex (also known as mTORC2), an evolutionarily conserved assembly believed to modulate responses to cellular stress. We previously demonstrated the ability of nephrilin peptide to suppress neuroinflammation, loss of body mass, glycaemic control and kidney function in a rat scald model, as well as sepsis mortality in a mouse model. The present study explores the effect of nephrilin plus iron formulations on clinically relevant outcomes in the rat scald model. Methods: Animals were treated with nephrilin by subcutaneous bolus injection on post-burn days 1–7. Equimolar ferric iron in the formulation improved the positive systemic effects of nephrilin on kidney function, glycaemic control, oxidative stress, early hyperinflammation, late inflammasome activation, hyperangiogenesis and body mass, all variables previously shown to bear upon clinically relevant burn injury outcomes. The sparing effects of nephrilin-iron were demonstrated in both sexes. Discussion: Surprisingly, optimum daily treatment doses were in the range of 2–4 mg/kg, while 8 mg/kg was less effective, suggesting the possibility of marginal pro-oxidant effects from the ‘free’ iron fraction. Thus, although ferric iron in the nephrilin formulation is clearly helpful, care must be exercised to select an optimum treatment dose. Conclusion: Iron increases the efficacy of nephrilin peptide in burns.

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The aim of the present study was to assess the anti-ageing activity in vitro and in vivo of an active principle of natural origin, consisting of plant stem cell extract in a suitable topical formulation. We tested: cream containing 1% active principle; cream without active principle (control); pure active principle in sterile packaging. The cream samples were used for clinical testing and the pure active principle was used for in vitro testing. The first aim of the clinical tests was to ensure that the products had no toxic effects on human skin. The cream was first used for epicutaneous testing and then directly to assess its effectiveness. The subjects were 15 healthy male and female volunteers who underwent: patch test; clinical trial; measurement of skin moisture. The active ingredient of plant origin "Phytocell" was assessed using parametric models of cell reproductive activity. It was tested on the human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT cultured under standard conditions. HaCaT keratinocytes were cultured in normal medium (as control) and in medium enriched with Phytocell at increasing concentrations up to 1%. None of the concentrations tested were associated with toxic effects on the cell cultures. The capacity of Phytocell to stimulate keratinocyte proliferation and to remove contact inhibition in vitro was then estimated, the latter in terms of cell migration capacity and reduction of scratch amplitude. Our results showed that the product was well tolerated by the skin of normal subjects and had good moisturizing activity. The in vitro experiments showed that the plant extract substantially stimulated repair of damaged cell layers. This was evident at 48 h. , after which the effect tapered to zero. The study demonstrated that a rational basis exists for the use of plant stem cell extract in cosmetics. The experimental results of the clinical and in vitro testing support this working hypothesis. 704Camouflage improves the quality of life and the response to treatment in patients with vitiligo Vitiligo is an acquired disorder of cutaneous depigmentation that negatively affects patients' self-esteem and quality of life. While there are numerous treatment options for vitiligo, most of them need a long time to produce good cosmetic results. Cosmetic camouflage is effective for patients with vitiligo and can significantly improve their quality of life. However, few studies have investigated its benefit for vitiligo patients in China. The current study analyzed the therapeutic effects of camouflage on patients with vitiligo. In our clinical trial, 160 patients with vitiligo lesion in exposed skin area were randomly divided into 2 groups, including the group treated with camouflage and the routine treatment of vitiligo (case group) and the group receiving normal treatment only (control group). All patients completed the Chinese version of the vitiligo life quality index (VLQI-C) questionnaire. Efficacy was assessed by the scores of VLQI-C and Vitiligo Area Scoring Index scores (VASI), and the levels of CXCL10 and IF...

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