For significant improvement rate, CO2 laser + topical insulin, CO2 laser + PRP, and microneedling + PRP showed the most favorable rankings. For VAS, lower values indicated less pain; microneedling + PRP, MFR + bFGF, and YAG laser were associated with relatively lower pain rankings. Fractional CO2 laser combined with subcision or PRP showed the most consistent benefits, whereas CO2 laser + topical insulin and MFR + bFGF appeared promising but require further validation.
Relevant if you're working with glycolic acid for acne and scarring.
If you're targeting acne, this research supports adding glycolic_acid to your AM/PM routine.
Translated from this study's findings, not a personal prescription. Pair with your existing protocol and your practitioner's guidance.
1. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2026 Sep;50(17):7308-7334. doi: 10.1007/s00266-026-06165-8. Epub 2026 Jul 10. Laser, Microneedling, and Combination Therapies for Moderate to Severe Acne Atrophic Scars: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.
1. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2026 Sep;50(17):7308-7334. doi: 10.1007/s00266-026-06165-8. Epub 2026 Jul 10. Laser, Microneedling, and Combination Therapies for Moderate to Severe Acne Atrophic Scars: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. Ou Y(#)(1), An G(#)(2), Liang J(1), Zhang W(1), Li M(1), Luo Y(1), Zhang P(1), Liu S(3). Author information: (1)Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Deputy No. 2, West Weiyang Road, Xianyang, 712000, Shaanxi, China. (2)Northern Theater Command Disease Control Center, Shenyang, Liaoning, China. (3)Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Deputy No. 2, West Weiyang Road, Xianyang, 712000, Shaanxi, China. 13359298884@163.com. (#)Contributed equally OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of laser therapies, microneedling/radiofrequency microneedling, chemical reconstruction or peeling, subcision, fillers, and combination treatments for moderate-to-severe atrophic acne scars using systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched for randomized controlled trials published from January 1, 2010 to August 10, 2025. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, assessed risk of bias, and evaluated evidence certainty using GRADE. Outcomes included ECCA score, Goodman-Baron scar score, significant improvement rate, significant satisfaction rate, and pain visual analogue scale (VAS). Bayesian network meta-analysis was performed in R, and sensitivity analyses were conducted by excluding small-sample and high-risk-of-bias studies where applicable. RESULTS: Fifty-six randomized controlled trials involving 1488 patients and 34 interventions were included. Most participants were enrolled in split-face or self-controlled studies. In the primary SUCRA analysis, MFR + bFGF ranked highest for ECCA score improvement, followed by CO2 laser + ASCE and microneedling + glycolic acid. CO2 laser + subcision and CO2 laser + PRP ranked highest for Goodman-Baron score improvement and patient satisfaction. For significant improvement rate, CO2 laser + topical insulin, CO2 laser + PRP, and microneedling + PRP showed the most favorable rankings. For VAS, lower values indicated less pain; microneedling + PRP, MFR + bFGF, and YAG laser were associated with relatively lower pain rankings. Sensitivity analyses generally supported the robustness of CO2 laser-based combination therapies, although ECCA and VAS rankings were more sensitive to network connectivity and limited evidence. CONCLUSION: Combination therapies generally outperformed monotherapies for moderate-to-severe atrophic acne scars. Fractional CO2 laser combined with subcision or PRP showed the most consistent benefits, whereas CO2 laser + topical insulin and MFR + bFGF appeared promising but require further validation. Treatment selection should consider scar type, Fitzpatrick skin phototype, downtime, pain, adverse-effect risk, and patient preference. Larger long-term randomized trials with standardized outcomes are needed. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE I: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 . © 2026. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature and International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. DOI: 10.1007/s00266-026-06165-8 PMID: 42429955 [Indexed for MEDLINE] Conflict of interest statement: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest to disclose. Ethical Approval: No ethical approval was required for this article. Consent to Participate: This article is a systematic review and meta-analysis of previously published studies. No new human participants were recruited by the authors. For all included studies, it is assumed that informed consent had been obtained by the original investigators in accordance with ethical standards. Consent for Publication: Not applicable.
Original source →Friedreich's ataxia is a rare, chronic, progressive, neurodegenerative condition affecting multiple organ systems, including neurological, musculoskeletal, cardiac, and endocrine systems, and is marked by low cardiopulmonary fitness. We tested the effect of exercise and NAD+ precursor supplementation with nicotinamide riboside, which have each shown benefits in animal and early clinical studies, on cardiopulmonary fitness in individuals with Friedreich's ataxia. This 12-week, outpatient, phase 2, single-site (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA), randomised, 2 × 2 factorial clinical trial recruited individuals aged 10-40 years with an ejection fraction of 45% or greater who were able to exercise.
Wounds continue to represent a significant public health challenge globally. In recent years, Astragalus mongholicus Bunge, a traditional Chinese botanical drug utilized for wound treatment, has garnered increasing research attention. However, the therapeutic efficacy and safety of this natural botanical drug on wound healing remain poorly understood.
Recent preclinical studies have shown that nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) plays a critical role in molecular mechanisms of axon degeneration, and reductions in NAD+ levels are associated with axonal degeneration. Nicotinamide riboside (NR) is a safe and widely available pyridine-nucleoside form of vitamin B3 and is an NAD+ precursor. To investigate if oral supplementation of synthetic NR can act as a therapeutic agent to prevent degeneration of small somatic sensory axons innervating the skin or promote regeneration of these same fibers in humans, we utilized a validated experimental model of cutaneous nerve degeneration and regeneration and conducted a placebo-controlled, double-blinded Phase 2 study.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Individual results vary. Consult a qualified dermatologist or healthcare professional for medical concerns. Full disclaimer →