AAD Wrap: What To Know from Dermatology’s Biggest Meeting

The 2025 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting brought together the dermatology community to exchange groundbreaking research, innovative treatments, and technological advancements. For 4 days in Orlando, the meeting served as the hub of the dermatology profession, delivering the latest science and practice-changing insights. From the rise of AI in clinical tools to promising therapies such as biologics, the meeting underscored the progress and challenges shaping dermatologic care. Dive into our comprehensive wrap-up to explore the highlights, expert perspectives, and key takeaways from dermatology’s premier event.

Biologics, JAKs, and More Cited as Potential Treatments for CPUO

New therapies for chronic pruritus of unknown origin (CPUO) could be close, Gil Yosipovitch, MD, said during his presentation, “What’s Best and What’s Next for Systemic Itch and CPUO” at the 2025 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida.

“These are patients based on diagnosis of exclusion,” Dr. Yosipovitch said. “About 10% of patients with itch have this unspecified origin, and many of these patients are elderly—and do remember, a lot of times the elderly patients have itch. Most probably there is some immunosenescence and the Type 2 immune expression. There’s also an imbalance in these patients between mu and kappa opioids.”

Dr. Yosipovitch acknowledged that biologics and JAK inhibitors make sense as potential treatments for CPUO, and he noted that dupilumab is currently being studied for it.

“It wouldn’t surprise me that both other IL-13s, whether it would be tralokinumab or lebrikizumab, would be helpful,” he said. “Also, in a case series, JAK stat inhibitors worked extremely well for these miserable patients.”

Dr. Yosipovitch also noted that nemolizumab’s targeting of IL-31 makes it a promising option.

“It has been approved for [prurigo nodularis] and [atopic dermatitis], so most thought it would work quite well. I’m quite sure there have been already some case reports or at least colleagues of mine who are submitting these case reports. But it works extremely well for chronic pruritus of undetermined origin. So, hopefully, this will also be tested.”

Additionally, Dr. Yosipovitch discussed MRGPRX2 inhibitors, which have demonstrated positive results in animal testing.

“This receptor has, until recently, exclusively been reported only in mast cells,” he said. “But there are some new data to suggest that it’s also on the nerve fiber, but it’s a very explosive receptor for treatment of itch. And I encourage the industry to target this G coupled protein cell receptor because the potential here is very big.”

From Tattoos to Virtual Tools: A Look at the Technology Transforming Hair Clinics

Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and imaging technology are transforming the way dermatologists approach scalp health, according to a presentation from 2025 American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting in Orlando (AAD 2025).

During her talk, Maria K. Hordinsky, MD, FAAD, professor and chair of the department of dermatology at the University of Minnesota, provided an update on recent advancements in AI-driven tools for diagnosing and treating hair loss. Her talk highlighted how technology is transforming dermatology, and in the assessment of scalp health and treatment efficacy.

Evolution of Clinical Tools

Dr. Hordinsky described the evolution of diagnostic tools, starting with traditional methods like scalp tattoos used to measure hair density. These methods, she explained, have largely been replaced by currently used systems such as HairMetrix and TricoLAB Studio, which uses virtual tattoos to track progress over time. Current widely used clinical tools allow dermatologists to assess critical factors like hair density, follicular health, and fiber diameter with great precision, offering a significantly clearer picture of the patient’s condition and of treatment outcomes.

Another useful standout feature of these tools is their ability to visually represent data, empowering both patients and clinicians to better visualize what the instrument measures. Patients can track improvements in hair density and thickness, which Dr. Hordinsky said often provides reassurance when they feel dissatisfied with progress. 

Consumer-grade Devices

In addition to clinical-standard tools, Dr. Hordinsky noted the growing trend of consumer-grade trichoscopic devices. 

“We’re in the era of the Amazon trichoscopy devices, so now our patients are able to buy these trichoscopic devices on the internet,” she explained. “Now our patients come to clinic with pictures they took when their scalp was itchy or they had a red spot.”

While these devices enable patients to monitor their scalp health at home, she pointed out their limitations in comparison to clinical-grade systems. Dermatologists, she argued, must adapt to this trend by integrating patient-sourced data into their assessments, ultimately combining consumer technology with clinical expertise. Dr. Hordinsky also recounted a story of a patient who brought trichoscopy images to her taken by a device purchased on Amazon.

“This patient was excited about sharing these pictures with us, so we said, ‘okay, let’s take a look at how this compares to what we do in clinic,’” she said, noting that when compared with the clinical tools and techniques employed by the dermatologist, the Amazon trichoscopy results weren’t as precise. 

“[Using clinical trichosopy], we were picking up scale, we were picking up more of the scalp background, and we were picking up what the Amazon device was not picking up.”

Impression on Patients

Dr. Hordinsky also shared practical insights from her clinical experience, showing how AI-driven imaging tools can track results of treatments like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy or topical anti-inflammatory therapies. By presenting side-by-side images of scalp health before and after interventions, she said, dermatologists can demonstrate progress in a way that resonates with patients.

“We have to be able to figure out what our patients are bringing to us, and my guess is with the salon spas, we’re going to see more and more of this type of technology,” she concluded. “As dermatologists, we have to translate that data that we’re going to get from those spas and move it into the world of dermatology with the tools that we have available to us to treat scalp health and scalp hair loss.” 

Exosomes for Hair Regrowth: Tech with Potential

At the 2025 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting, Saranya P. Wyles, MD, PhD, a dermatologist and researcher at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, delivered an enlightening presentation on the emerging role of exosomes in hair regrowth.

Dr. Wyles explained that exosomes offer a promising alternative to traditional treatments like platelet-rich plasma (PRP). These biologically derived products are being explored for their ability to stimulate hair regrowth through topical applications, presenting an accessible and minimally invasive option for patients.

“I think about exosomes as the greatest ‘from trash to treasure’ story,” she said in her presentation at the 2025 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting in Orlando. “We thought about them as discarded waste, but when they’re from a specific source like platelets, which have excellent capacity for wound healing and pain restoration, there is real potential that could be utilized here. The source comes from really drives the product.”

Variability in Exosomes

In her presentation, Dr. Wyles emphasized the variability in exosome production due to their human origins, comparing as an example stem cell-derived exosomes to platelet-derived exosomes. She pointed out that stem cell exosomes often experience “phenotypic drift” during manufacturing, while platelet-derived exosomes are processed immediately, retaining their regenerative properties. This distinction, she noted, shows the need for and importance of standardization in exosome-based therapies, which she said is a challenge to overcome that is critical to advancing the field.

Dr. Wyles also shared data from a nine-month study evaluating a platelet-derived exosome topical serum applied once daily for the appearance of hair thinning. She shared results showing significant improvements in scalp coverage and hair density with the serum, (a 73% increase in large terminal hairs at the six-month mark of the analysis. She noted that while these findings are preliminary and not yet FDA-approved for injectable use, they show the potential of topicals in addressing hair loss.

Future Directions

Looking ahead, Dr. Wyles said that bioengineered exosomes could represent an exciting next frontier in regenerative medicine but cautioned that FDA approvals for these treatments could take five to ten years to materialize.

“I think that the next step is really going to be bio-engineered exosomes where we’re loading a lot of these key hair regrowth pathways into the exosome so that we can have targeted approach,” she said. “Of course, the FDA studies are vital and a lot of them are ongoing in the preclinical state. This will take time.” 

— Reporting by Eric Raible and Jason Mazda