Personalized Treatment Options in Dermatology

This book is a quick reference guide to the new, more personalized approaches to the management of skin disorders that have emerged as a result of progress in our understanding of the genetic background and pathophysiology of skin diseases and the diversity of mechanisms underlying their clinical heterogeneity. A wide range of personalized and targeted therapies are described, including those for different skin cancers, chronic inflammatory skin diseases, and autoimmune diseases. In addition, readers will find that the book documents how research results in personalized medicine can be effectively transferred to dermatological practice and looks forward to future treatments that might be developed on the basis of recent research findings. The authors are all recognized experts in the field, and the text is presented in a reader-friendly format and well illustrated.

Thomas Bieber, PhD, MD, MDRA, is Professor and Head of the Department of Dermatology and Allergy at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms University in Bonn, Germany. In 1976 Professor Bieber started his studies in medicine at the University Louis Pasteur in Strasbourg, France. He completed his specialization as a dermatologist and allergist at the University Hospital Strasbourg (1982-1985) and the Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich (1985-1989). After his habilitation in Munich (1989), he completed his PhD at the University of Strasbourg (1994). In 1994 he received the professorship for dermatology and allergology at the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich. Since 1997 Professor Bieber has held the chair of dermatology and allergy at the University of Bonn. From 2002 to 2006, he was Vice-Dean and then Dean of the Medical Faculty in Bonn. He has also earned a masters degree in drug regulatory affairs and has special expertise in preclinical and clinical aspects of drug development, especially in the field of personalized medicine.

Beside his strong interest in chronic skin disease and allergy, Professor Bieber has focused his scientific work on the ontogeny and immunobiology of dendritic cells, investigating their role in allergic diseases and tolerance mechanisms. He has published more than 450 scientific articles and book chapters in this field.  He is the editor of several books on atopic dermatitis and the author of a book on stratified medicine. Professor Bieber has been the recipient of many awards, including the Karl Hansen Award, the Pharmacia International Research Award, and the Gold Medal of the Foundation for Allergy Research in Europe. He is a member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and a member or honorary member of several national and international societies.  He is Editor-in-Chief of Allergy (the official organ of the European Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology) and a member of the editorial boards of several national and international journals.