About

Bernhard Ortel is a Clinical Associate at the University of Chicago, Department of Medicine-Dermatology. His research focuses on photodynamic therapy, dermatology, and skin cancer, with significant contributions to understanding the molecular mechanisms of photodynamic therapy and its applications in treating various dermatological conditions. Ortel has investigated the use of phototherapy, the effects of sun exposure, and the development of targeted treatments for skin neoplasms, including basal cell carcinoma and actinic keratoses. His work also encompasses the study of biologics for psoriasis and the use of laser ablation techniques. Throughout his career, Ortel has contributed to advancing photodynamic therapy as a therapeutic modality, exploring its synergism with other treatments, and elucidating cellular and molecular responses to phototherapy in skin and cancer models.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Dermatology
• Chemistry
• Cancer research
• Pathology

Selected publications

• Adjuvants that Empower the Action of Photodynamic Therapy

  Photochemistry and Photobiology · 2020-02-28 · 4 citations

  letter1st authorCorresponding

  Compounds have been devised whose supportive actions make them important adjuvants in the priming of photosensitization to selectively target cancer cells. Here, we highlight the paper by Maytin and Hasan in this issue of Photochemistry & Photobiology, which describes adjuvants methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil, vitamin D and its analogs leading to improved photodynamic therapy outcome. These small molecule adjuvants act by different mechanisms to enhance the cytotoxicity in tumor cells and the therapeutic effect in cancers. These findings add to the list of strategies for enhancement of photodynamic therapy.

  PublisherDOI

• Supplementary Material for: Prevalence of Phototherapy in the Age of Biologics

  Figshare · 2018-01-01

  datasetOpen accessSenior author

  <b><i>Background:</i></b> The prevalence of narrow-band ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) use in Europe for moderate and severe psoriasis is unknown, because national registries for psoriasis do not monitor this treatment. <b><i>Objectives:</i></b> To quantify the use of phototherapy, biologics or conventional treatments in psoriasis, in a setting where European Medicines Agency (EMA) eligibility criteria for biologics were strictly applied, and phototherapy was included among first-line treatments. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We followed a cohort of 1,090 patients who were referred to the only centre entitled to prescribe biologics and phototherapy during a 5-year period. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The cumulative number of treatment cycles was: 1,047 with NB-UVB phototherapy, 650 with systemic treatments and 239 with biologics; 754 patients received at least 1 course of NB-UVB phototherapy, 422 at least 1 course with a systemic treatment and 137 with a biologic; 595 patients were treated only with phototherapy. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Regular use of NB-UVB as first-line treatment for moderate and severe psoriasis and adherence to the EMA eligibility criteria for biologics led to a relatively restricted use of biologics.

  PublisherDOI

• Biologics for the primary care physician: Review and treatment of psoriasis

  Disease-a-Month · 2018-07-21 · 95 citations

  review
  PublisherDOI

• Two cases of treatment with aromatase inhibitors and development of miliary osteoma cutis—Is there an association?

  JAAD Case Reports · 2018-08-01 · 5 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Osteoma cutis is a benign condition characterized by extra-skeletal bone formation within the dermis and subcutaneous tissue. The condition commonly occurs in late- to middle-age women and can be primary or secondary. Secondary causes include iatrogenic, traumatic, metabolic, inflammatory, and cutaneous neoplasms such as basal cell carcinoma, pilomatricoma, and hemangiomas.1 Of the secondary causes, acne vulgaris is one of the most common historical elements.2 The condition can also be a feature of a genetic syndrome: fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, Albright hereditary osteodystrophy, progressive osseous heteroplasia, and platelike osteoma cutis.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Prevalence of Phototherapy in the Age of Biologics

  Dermatology · 2018-01-01 · 9 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  BACKGROUND: The prevalence of narrow-band ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) use in Europe for moderate and severe psoriasis is unknown, because national registries for psoriasis do not monitor this treatment. OBJECTIVES: To quantify the use of phototherapy, biologics or conventional treatments in psoriasis, in a setting where European Medicines Agency (EMA) eligibility criteria for biologics were strictly applied, and phototherapy was included among first-line treatments. METHODS: We followed a cohort of 1,090 patients who were referred to the only centre entitled to prescribe biologics and phototherapy during a 5-year period. RESULTS: The cumulative number of treatment cycles was: 1,047 with NB-UVB phototherapy, 650 with systemic treatments and 239 with biologics; 754 patients received at least 1 course of NB-UVB phototherapy, 422 at least 1 course with a systemic treatment and 137 with a biologic; 595 patients were treated only with phototherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Regular use of NB-UVB as first-line treatment for moderate and severe psoriasis and adherence to the EMA eligibility criteria for biologics led to a relatively restricted use of biologics.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Pulsed CO2 Laser Ablation of Superficial Basal Cell of Limbs and Trunk: A Comparative Randomized Clinical Trial With Cryotherapy and Surgical Ablation

  Dermatologic Surgery · 2017-03-14 · 19 citations

  article

  BACKGROUND: Pulsed CO2 laser is a treatment of superficial basal cell carcinoma (sBCC) although robust clinical evidence has not been reported so far. OBJECTIVE: The authors investigated efficacy, safety, time to wound healing, cosmetic outcome, patient satisfaction, and cost-effectiveness ratio of pulsed CO2 laser in comparison to cryotherapy and surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: BCCs of the trunk and extremities were randomized to one of the treatments. After 90 days, efficacy and cosmetic outcome were assessed. Patients recorded the time to complete healing of the wound and scored their overall satisfaction. RESULTS: Two hundred forty patients were randomized. After 3 months, complete remission (CR) rate with pulsed CO2 laser was 78.8%. This was significantly lower than surgery, whereas the CR rate with cryotherapy was not significantly different. Cosmetic result was better with surgery. High satisfaction was reported by 65.0% of patients treated with CO2 ablation. Time of wound healing was significantly shorter with CO2 laser. CONCLUSION: In comparison to cryotherapy, pulsed CO2 laser showed no statistically significant difference in efficacy, cosmetic outcome, and patient satisfaction. Time to healing was shorter; the cost and cost-effectiveness ratio were similar. Surgery had the greatest efficacy rate. The main limitation of this study was the short duration of follow-up (3 months).

  PublisherDOI

• CHAPTER 18. Perspectives of Non-Methyl-Aminolevulinate/Aminolevulinic Acid Photodynamic Therapy in Dermatology

  Comprehensive series in photochemistry and photobiology/Comprehensive series in photochemical & photobiological sciences · 2016-01-01

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding

  An international consensus on photodynamic therapy (PDT) for skin cancer was published in 2007 and described aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-based regimens only, as these are now relatively widely approved for skin cancer applications. Including the very first clinical report on PDT for skin cancer from over 100 years ago by von Tappeiner, photosensitizers (PSs) other than ALA-induced protoporphyrin IX have been used for cutaneous malignancies for many decades. This chapter aims to provide an assessment of the current state of these exogenous PSs in the management of skin cancers.

  PublisherDOI

• Non-melanoma skin cancer, sun exposure and sun protection.

  PubMed · 2015-08-01 · 41 citations

  article

  The incidence of skin tumors including squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and its biological precursor, the actinic keratosis, and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) often named together non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is growing all over the world in people of Caucasian ancestry. A plenty of clinical and epidemiological studies have demonstrated the causal relationship with high cumulative solar dosages and number of sunburns, although the hazard may be different for different tumors according to the modalities of ultraviolet (UV) exposure. BCC is much more strongly related to measures of intermittent ultraviolet exposure (particularly those of childhood or adolescence) than to measures of cumulative exposure. In contrast, SCC is more strongly related to constant or cumulative sun exposure. Photobiological studies have clarified that sunlight and UVB radiation are complete carcinogens for AK and SCC although the relationship with UVA exposure is much less known. Also the likelihood of BCC has been related to either sunburns and high lifetime solar, UVA and UVB cumulative doses but the pathogenetic pathways of both UVB and UVA radiation for BCC development need to be clarified so far. The lack of a complete knowledge of the photocarcinogenic pathways of keratinocytes has contributed to the limited results of solar photoprotection strategies, beside the limitations of the available sunscreens and present EU regulations.

  Publisher

• Cryotherapy is preferable to ablative CO₂laser for the treatment of isolated actinic keratoses of the face and scalp: a randomized clinical trial

  British Journal of Dermatology · 2014-01-28 · 45 citations

  article

  BACKGROUND: Actinic keratosis (AK) may progress to squamous cell carcinoma. In the case of normal or mildly photodamaged skin, lesion-directed treatments are considered valuable options despite poor published evidence of their therapeutic activity. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this single-centre, open-label, prospective, nonsponsored, randomized, controlled clinical trial was to compare CO2 laser ablation with cryotherapy in the treatment of isolated AKs of the face and scalp. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with isolated (≤ 4) AKs of the face and scalp were randomized to receive CO2 laser ablation or cryotherapy. After 90 days, the overall complete remission (CR) rates of patients and lesions were assessed and correlated with thickness grade. RESULTS: Two hundred patients with a total number of 543 AKs were enrolled. The CR rates of lesions after 3 months were 78·2% with cryotherapy and 72·4% with CO2 laser ablation. Thicker lesions were significantly more responsive to cryotherapy (P = 0·034). Seventy-three patients (71·6%) had CR of all lesions 3 months after cryotherapy and 64 (65·3%) after laser ablation. At 12 months after treatment the number of patients with CR was reduced to 53 with cryotherapy and 14 with laser ablation. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of patients and lesions with CR is similar after 3 months, but more patients remain in stable remission for 12 months after cryotherapy. Cryotherapy is more effective for thick lesions. The cosmetic outcome was good or excellent in almost all patients.

  PublisherDOI

• Design, realization and uncertainty analysis of a laser-based primary calibration facility for solar cells at PTB

  Measurement · 2013-12-15 · 32 citations

  articleOpen access

  A completely newly designed multi-functional facility for the primary calibration of reference solar cells and the spectral characterization of all solar cell types has been developed and built at PTB. The new facility is based on the successfully applied Differential Spectral Responsivity (DSR) method that allows the determination of the absolute spectral responsivity and nonlinearity of solar cells with the lowest uncertainties. By using a tunable laser system, the new setup avoids the main problem of monochromator-based systems: the low optical power level of the monochromatic beam. Thus it enables a significant reduction of the uncertainty for the short circuit current under standard test conditions ISTC of solar cells. It enables the calibration of World Photovoltaic Scale (WPVS) reference solar cells with an uncertainty of 0.4% (k = 2), the lowest value stated by any WPVS laboratory.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Tayyaba Hasan

  Massachusetts General Hospital

  58 shared

• Herbert Hönigsmann

  Medical University of Vienna

  30 shared

• Piergiacomo Calzavara‐Pinton

  University of Brescia

  25 shared

• Michael Lein

  Sana Klinikum Offenbach

  21 shared

• Edward V. Maytin

  Cleveland Clinic

  19 shared

• Klaus Jung

  Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin

  17 shared

• Adrian Tanew

  17 shared

• Hongzhi Zhao

  14 shared