Editorial

Dear Reader,

It is a great pleasure to provide our Planta Medica readers with a special issue on the hot topic of “Dermatology”.

Research on skin diseases is mainly published concerning the basic mechanisms of skin cell biology, cell signaling, and aspects of how the organ is controlled. Clinical studies with biologicals and new chemical entities can also be found, but natural products in dermatology are not often communicated systematically. On the other side, a large part of the global population is using plants, plant extracts, or even isolated natural products for skin treatment. The border between cosmetics and medical treatment is often not clear. More, and intensified, research has to be performed for systematic evaluation of the potency of plant extracts on skin diseases. The underlying mechanisms of the active ingredients have to be evaluated in detail, and clinical data have to be presented in order to obtain a valid assessment of efficacy, side effects, and mode of action.