1. ¹Departments of Dermatology and Immunology, Dessau Medical Center, Dessau, Germany
2. ²Laboratory of Biogerontology, Dermato-Pharmacology and Dermato-Endocrinology, Institute of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany

Correspondence: Dr. Christos C. Zouboulis, Departments of Dermatology and Immunology, Dessau Medical Center, Auenweg 38, 06847 Dessau, Germany. E-mail: christos.zouboulis@klinikum-dessau.de

Abstract

Nelson et al. confirmed the previously described antiproliferative effect of isotretinoin on human sebocytes. They attributed a portion of this decrease to cell cycle arrest and detected sebocyte apoptosis, which was not recapitulated by alitretinoin or tretinoin. These events were specific to sebocytes, as isotretinoin failed to induce apoptosis in keratinocytes. Isotretinoin-induced apoptosis was shown to be an RAR-independent mechanism.