Current treatments for psoriasis include repeated applications of tars, steroids, retinoids and many other creams and ointments, each with thier own particular drawback. A better treatment is urgently needed. Researchers at the Royal Children's Hospital Research foundation, Parkville Victoria in Australia have developed a strategy for a new treatment.
Epidermal growth is regulated by a family of small, hormone like proteins called cytokines.
Differences in the immune system probably cause some people to be susceptible to this disease. Their research has given them a greater understanding of the cytokine stimulation occurring in this altered skin state, and they are now using these discoveries to target a particular cytokine that they believe is central to epidermal overgrowth in the psoriatic lesion. One of the major challenges facing this research team is to find a way to make these therapeutic molecules penetrate the layers of skin and enter their target cells, the overgrowing keratinocytes. They have been fortunate so far with generous donations of small skin samples from many psoriasis sufferers. These samples are being used to test antisense oligonucleotides for their ability to retard keratinocyte growth.