Eczema Breakthroughs – Details, episodes & analysis

Are you feeling lost and don’t know where to find trusted advice on managing eczema? Introducing ECZHALE, your one-stop-shop for reliable information and resources on eczema care. Join Dr. Jennifer LeBovidge, psychologist and Assistant Professor at the Atopic Dermatitis Center at Boston Children’s Hospital, and GPER’s Christine Pham Cutaran as they discuss the challenges of being an eczema caregiver and where you can turn for help. 

Literature mentioned

Multidisciplinary interventions in the management of atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis: therapeutic care delivery: therapeutic education, shared decision-making, and access to care

Improving patient education for atopic dermatitis

Resources

ECZHALE wellness hub

Support for Eczema Caregivers

Treatment Navigator

Is getting rid of Staph aureus in the gut the key to improving eczema? And can we control it without antibiotics? Join us as we ask these questions and more of Dr. Michael Otto, Chief of the Pathogen Molecular Genetics Section at the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases. (And if you like our podcast, consider supporting it with a tax deductible donation).

Research mentioned

Probiotic for pathogen-specific Staphylococcus aureus decolonisation in Thailand: a phase 2, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial

Commensal Staphylococcus epidermidis contributes to skin barrier homeostasis by generating protective ceramides 

The association between Staphylococcus aureus colonization on cheek skin at 2 months and subsequent atopic dermatitis in a prospective birth cohort

Skin microbiota analysis-inspired development of novel anti-infectives

Combined antibiotic, steroid, and moisturizer for atopic dermatitis: A two‐year case series of patient‐reported outcomes

New biological therapies like dupilumab target Type 2 inflammation, but new research shows they are also modifying the skin microbiome. In this episode we discuss what Type 2 inflammation is, why it matter in eczema, and how it modifies the microbiome. Our guest is Dr. Lisa Beck (Co-Director of the Center for Allergic Disease Research, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY) who has dedicated her 35 year career to understanding why some eczema patients are susceptible to skin infections and finding safe and effective eczema treatments.

Research associated with this podcast

Type 2 Inflammation Contributes to Skin Barrier Dysfunction in Atopic Dermatitis

Tralokinumab treatment improves the skin microbiota by increasing the microbial diversity in adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis

Rapid Reduction in Staphylococcus aureus in Atopic Dermatitis Subjects Following Dupilumab Treatment

Dupixent has transformed the lives of people with moderate to severe eczema, but will patients need to use it indefinitely? In this episode we explore tapering Dupixent (also known as dupilumab) with two researchers from University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands that have created a patient-led roadmap for successful tapering. They are: Pediatric Dermatologist Dr. Marlies de Graaf, Head of the National Expertise Center of Atopic Dermatitis in Children; and Dr. Celeste Boesjes, who is a PhD candidate and Medical Doctor.

Research Discussed in this Podcast

Successful tapering of dupilumab in atopic dermatitis patients with low disease activity: a large pragmatic daily practice study from the BioDay registry

Association of serum dupilumab levels at 16 weeks with treatment response and adverse effects in patients with atopic dermatitis: a prospective clinical cohort study from the BioDay registry

Patient‐centered dupilumab dosing regimen leads to successful dose reduction in persistently controlled atopic dermatitis

Dupilumab in daily practice for the treatment of pediatric atopic dermatitis: 28‐week clinical and biomarker results from the BioDay registry

Dupilumab dose spacing after initial successful treatment or adverse events in adult patients with atopic dermatitis: a retrospective analysis

Itch. It’s the hallmark symptom of eczema and the most troublesome. In this podcast we discuss why the eczema itch is so hard to treat and explore effective treatment options. We have the privilege of speaking with Dr. Shawn Kwatra, international leader in chronic itch research and Director of John Hopkins Itch Centre in Baltimore, and Dr. Shivani Patel, a practicing pediatric dermatologist who specializes in treating children with eczema. (If you like our podcast consider supporting it with a tax deductible donation.)

Research discussed in this podcast

Molecular and cellular mechanisms of itch and pain in atopic dermatitis and implications for novel therapeutics

Cumulative Use of Strong Anticholinergics and Incident Dementia

Living with Itch - A Patient's Guide

What do microplastics, dishwasher rinse-aid, air pollution and processed foods have to do with eczema? Join us as we explore why allergic diseases were rare for our grandparents but now affect two billion people worldwide.   Explaining the link is our guest, Professor Cezmi Akdis. He is a global leader in immunology, specializing in allergic diseases, editor-in-chief of Allergy, and a Professor at the University of Zurich in Switzerland.  (If you like our podcast consider supporting it with a tax deductible donation.)

Research discussed in this podcast:

Scrubbing away our collective health

Does the epithelial barrier hypothesis explain the increase in allergy, autoimmunity and other chronic conditions?

Gut epithelial barrier damage caused by dishwasher detergents and rinse aids

Epithelial barrier hypothesis: Effect of the external exposome on the microbiome and epithelial barriers in allergic disease

Have you ever wondered if there is anything you can do during pregnancy to lower the chance of your baby developing eczema? Join our discussion with Dr. Suzanne Barshow from Stanford University who is overseeing the SUNBEAM study which investigates which factors lead to the development of allergic diseases, and Kortney Kwong Hing, co-host of The Itch Podcast and eczema sufferer who would like to avoid passing on her allergies to her future children. (If you like our podcast consider supporting it with a tax deductible donation.)

In our very first “Big Ideas” competition, we asked those who live with eczema for big ideas that could lead to better treatments or a cure. Learn about three brilliant ideas from the winners to help kids with eczema in the future. Our guests are Armando de la Libertad, Nic Novac and Angela Tiru, parents and patients who used their experiences and insights to come up with innovative research ideas. (If you like our podcast consider supporting it with a tax deductible donation.)

Have a Big Idea of your own? Enter this year’s Big Ideas competition here.

More information about Big Ideas 2022

Could allergy drops (or shots) be the answer to reducing eczema flares? Recent research suggests that immunotherapy can improve eczema symptoms, and it is safe for kids, easy to use and inexpensive. We discuss how the treatment works and it’s potential to improve lives, especially for kids who can’t access expensive treatment programs. Our guests are Dr. Derek Chu, professor of medicine at McMaster University in Canada, and Dr. Sarah Langer, a pediatric immunologist from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. (P.S. If you like our podcast consider supporting it with a tax deductible donation).

Research in this podcast:

Allergen immunotherapy for atopic dermatitis: Systematic review and meta-analysis of benefits and harms

Efficacy of House Dust Mite Sublingual Immunotherapy in Patients with Atopic Dermatitis: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Imagine if doctors could use a non-invasive test on newborns to predict their risk of developing eczema?   Now it might be possible.  What’s more, new research suggests there is something you can do for high risk babies. Join us as we learn about an innovative test for eczema and what you might do with this information.   Our guest speakers are Dr. Anne-Sofie Halling who is completing a PhD on biomarkers of atopic dermatitis at Copenhagen University, Denmark; Prof. Alan Irvine a professor of dermatology at Trinity College, Dublin Ireland; and, Prof. Jonathan Hourihane a professor of pediatrics and child health at Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. (If you like our podcast consider supporting it with a tax deductible donation.)

Research discussed in this podcast:

Skin biomarkers predict development of atopic dermatitis in infancy

Early initiation of short-term emollient use for the prevention of atopic dermatitis in high-risk infants—The STOP-AD randomised controlled trial

Skin care interventions in infants for preventing eczema and food allergy

Preventing Atopic Dermatitis and ALLergies in Children-the PreventADALL study.

Daily emollient during infancy for prevention of eczema: the BEEP randomised controlled trial