Doctors launch research into lotion for AD

Doctors at Ruijin Hospital have launched a new round of medical research and translation of clinical achievements into products in cooperation with Shanghai Jahwa on a lotion for patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), an inflammatory skin disease marked by recurrent severe itching and rashes.

Multi-center research has begun at several Chinese hospitals to study the effects of skin barrier repair products to prevent and control AD and then treat children’s allergic rhinitis and asthma.

The incidence of AD in the United States is about 2-5 percent. There are an estimated 10 million sufferers in China. Patients with AD also have allergic rhinitis, asthma and other atopic diseases.

“Healthy skin is not only important for beauty but also the basis for the health of the entire body, the heart, central nervous system, kidneys and respiratory system,” said Dr Zheng Jie, director of the hospital’s dermatology department. “The clinical research on using skin products to assist the prevention and treatment of AD started in Ruijin three years ago and has achieved good results. We will expand the research this year. So far, five hospitals — Ruijin and four children’s hospitals — have participated.”

Zheng said it is not rare to see babies with AD. Such children are likely to develop allergic rhinitis and other allergic diseases. “So the prevention and control of AD is also useful for the prevention and control of allergic rhinitis and asthma,” he said.

He said research on the relationship between repairing the skin barrier and diseases is widely conducted, to include Alzheimer's disease and coronary disease.