Areas of rosacea research deemed most important by patients are the potential causes of the skin disorder, followed closely by research on eye symptoms and the progression of the condition, according to a survey conducted by the National Rosacea Society (NRS).

Pa Vang, the daughter of Hmong immigrants from the mountains of Laos who settled in Minnesota following the Vietnam War, does not fit the stereotypical mold of a rosacea patient -- who is often fair-skinned, older and of northern European descent. But the sophomore at the University of Minnesota-Morris who was diagnosed with rosacea in her early teens is doing her part to broaden the public's perception of the disorder and whom it affects.

The bumps (papules) and pimples (pustules) of rosacea, a widespread facial disorder affecting an estimated 14 million Americans, in some instances may be the result of an allergy-like reaction to environmental and emotional triggers, according to new study results presented at the National Rosacea Society (NRS) research workshop during the annual meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology. The seventh annual NRS workshop was attended by more than 130 medical scientists from around the world.

The National Rosacea Society (NRS) funded research study on the role of cathelicidins in rosacea (see associated article) was recently published by Yamasaki et al. in Nature Medicine, one of the most prestigious medical scientific journals.¹ It not only alerted the medical community to these new findings, but raised public awareness of rosacea through media coverage nationwide.

Medical scientists reported key results of ongoing research on potential causes of rosacea during the eighth annual rosacea research workshop, sponsored by the National Rosacea Society (NRS). The workshop was conducted during the annual meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology, and was attended by more than 100 medical researchers from around the world.

In a preliminary study presented during a poster session at the American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting this year, Dr. Richard Burroughs and colleagues of Walter Reed Army Medical Center noted antibiotics may be effective in treating rosacea because of their action against yet-to-be identified bacteria.

The National Rosacea Society (NRS) has awarded five new research grants to advance scientific knowledge of the potential causes and other key aspects of this chronic and potentially devastating disorder that affects an estimated 14 million Americans.

"We are very pleased that a growing number of high-quality research proposals are now being received," said Dr. Jonathan Wilkin, chairman of the Society's medical advisory board, which reviews each grant application and selects for funding those believed most likely to yield important results.

New research funded by the National Rosacea Society has found that certain molecular receptors and their activators may play a significant role in producing the redness, visible blood vessels and inflammation of rosacea.

A receptor is a structure in human cells that binds with particular activating substances in the body to trigger certain reactions or responses. Dysfunction of receptors often leads to disease. Accordingly, identification of the mechanisms of these processes, which may then be adjusted, often leads to important therapeutic advances.

The National Rosacea Society (NRS) has awarded funding for six new studies as part of its research grants program to advance scientific knowledge of potential causes and other key aspects of this chronic and often life-disruptive disorder that affects an estimated 14 million Americans.