Psoriasis News and Research

Latest Psoriasis News and Research

Efalizumab effective in treatment of heavy psoriasis

A meta-analysis of four randomized Phase III placebo-controlled trials confirms that the injectable drug Efalizumab, a humanized therapeutic antibody designed to selectively and reversibly block the activation, reactivation and trafficking of T-cells that lead to the development of psoriasis, had an acceptable safety and efficacy profile in the treatment of psoriasis in heavy patients, researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine announced today.

3 Aug 2007

Psoriasis and eczema misconstrued as contagious could affect social lives of young adults

When it comes to being lucky in love, new research examining knowledge and attitudes about contagious diseases in Americans 18 to 25 years of age suggests that people with psoriasis and eczema may be at a distinct disadvantage.

2 Aug 2007

microRNA may play an important role in psoriasis and eczema

A research team at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet has shown for the time that microRNA, small RNA molecules, may play an important role in the development of inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis and atopic eczema.

12 Jul 2007

Phosphatidylglycerol holds promise for psoriasis, age-related skin damage

The body may hold a secret to normalizing skin cell growth that is over zealous in psoriasis and non-melanoma skin cancers and too slow in aging and sun-damaged skin, researchers say.

29 Jun 2007

Extended exposure to the psoriasis medication etanercept reduces psoriasis severity without increased adverse events

Extended exposure to the psoriasis medication etanercept does not appear to cause more infections or adverse events than placebo, and improvements in several measures of disease severity were observed for up to 96 weeks of therapy, according to a study in the June issue of Archives of Dermatology.

19 Jun 2007

Researchers identify potential role for retinoic acid in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases

An important finding, which could eventually lead to a new therapeutic approach for treating autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, colitis, psoriasis and others, was announced by researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology (LIAI).

17 Jun 2007

Abbott seeks U.S. and E.U. approvals for Humira as a treatment for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

Abbott has announced it has simultaneously submitted a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and a Type II Variation to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) seeking approval to market HUMIRA (adalimumab) as a treatment for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) in the U.S. and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in the European Union (EU).

9 May 2007

Molecule that destroys bone also protects it

An immune system component that is a primary cause of bone destruction and inflammation in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis actually protects bone in the oral cavity from infectious pathogens that play a major role in periodontal disease in humans, research at the University at Buffalo has shown.

7 May 2007

M. D. Anderson wins $8.3-million to research environmental causes of major diseases

An $8.3-million federal grant to The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Science Park - Research Division addresses the complex interplay between such varied factors as genetics, diet, and environmental exposure to toxins that cause cancer, asthma, diabetes, cardiovascular and other diseases.

21 Apr 2007

Green tea may help protect against Sjogren's syndrome

They found significantly less salivary gland damage in a group treated with green tea extract, suggesting a reduction of the Sjogren's symptom commonly referred to as dry mouth. Dry mouth can also be caused by certain drugs, radiation and other diseases.

20 Apr 2007

Link between psoriasis and diabetes and atherosclerosis

Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition characterized by thick, red, scaly plaques that itch and sometimes bleed, causing considerable discomfort and emotional stress for patients.

19 Apr 2007

Potential treatments for mouth ulcers

The drug pentoxifylline appears to have limited benefit in the first-line treatment of mouth ulcers due to recurrent apthous stomatitis, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Dermatology.

17 Apr 2007

Vitiligo gene linked to other autoimmune diseases

In a study appearing in the March 22 New England Journal of Medicine, scientists supported by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) have discovered a connection between a specific gene and the inflammatory skin condition vitiligo, as well as a possible host of autoimmune diseases.

11 Apr 2007

Abbott opens biotech facility in Puerto Rico

"This new facility is a key milestone for Abbott as we move to focus our resources and future growth on biologic and potent-drug manufacturing," said Lawrence Kraus, vice president of manufacturing, global pharmaceutical operations, Abbott.

11 Apr 2007

Researchers discover vitiligo gene

In a study appearing in the March 22 edition of The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers at St George's, University of London, the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center (UCDHSC) and the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes have discovered a connection between a gene and the chronic skin condition vitiligo, as well as a possible link to an array of other autoimmune diseases.

22 Mar 2007