Novel Treatment For Psoriasis Clears Lesions Within Three To Four Days

Main Category: Eczema / Psoriasis
Article Date: 19 Aug 2004 - 0:00 PDT


Psoriasis is a common chronic disease affecting 2-3% of the general population. Patients suffer from disfiguring scaly skin lesions and a form of arthritis that significantly impair their physical, psychological and social well being.

Basic mechanisms of psoriatic lesion development have been poorly understood. Consequently, conventional treatments are poorly effective and require typically six to eight weeks for partial clearance of lesions.

Nonspecific nature of most treatments leads also to adverse effects. Dissatisfaction with the existing treatments is widespread among patients who invariably require repeated treatments during their lifetime.

A scientific study on psoriasis published this week in the medical journal Dermatology (http://www.karger.com/drm; Tas S and Avci O, Dermatology 2004, 209:126-131) describes now a breakthrough in the treatment of this recalcitrant disease.

The new treatment is a mechanism-based rational treatment intervening in a key proximal process in the development of psoriatic lesions. It has provided rapid regression of psoriatic skin lesions within a day and complete clearance in all patients within three to four days. Some lesions were cleared as early as on day two. Long-term follow up of treated patients showed a lack of adverse effects.

A scientific study on psoriasis published this week in the medical journal Dermatology.

(http://www.karger.com/drm) reports a breakthrough in the treatment of this prevalent disease that has been highly resistant to treatment efforts. Psoriasis is a chronic disease that affects 2-3% of the general population.

Patients suffer from disfiguring, scaly, itching skin lesions and many develop also a form of arthritis. Environmental factors such as trauma and stress are well known to trigger psoriatic lesions in the people who are genetically predisposed.

However basic mechanisms of lesion formation have been poorly understood. As a result, conventional treatments of psoriasis are poorly effective. Dissatisfaction with the existing treatments is widespread among patients who often have to wait 6 to 8 weeks before a treatment provides partial clearance of lesions.

Yet these patients face repeated occurrences and/or persistence of the lesions because of their genetic predisposition and the commonness of environmental triggers. The physical, psychological and social impairments caused by psoriasis are well known to severely reduce patients` quality of life. Results of the new study published in Dermatology promise a long-awaited breakthrough to these patients.

The authors (Sinan Tas and Oktay Avci, Dermatology 2004, Volume 209, Pages 126-131) describe a mechanism-based rational treatment for psoriasis and show rapid regression of psoriatic skin lesions within a day and complete clearance within 3 to 4 days in all patients without adverse effects.

A Vicious Cycle Broken

The study first looked at the basic mechanisms of the formation of psoriatic lesions and identified operation of a vicious cycle. In the psoriatic lesional skin of patients, the lymphocytes and various other immune system cells are seen to be activated (immune system normally protects us against microbes and other foreign agents).

They appear to be attacking and stimulating the epidermal cells that make up the outermost layer of skin. In turn, some of the substances made by the attacked epidermal cells are stimulatory to the immune system.

The resulting inflammatory reaction at the psoriatic lesions has long been a target of conventional treatments. Similarly, most of the existing treatments have immunosuppressive action. The new study shows a method of induction of the normal differentiation of attacked epidermal cells in lesional skin and documents rapid disappearances of the auto-reactive lymphocytes and other inflammatory cells from lesional skin upon induction of differentiation.

As a result, psoriatic lesions are seen to regress rapidly within a day and to clear completely within the following 1 to 3 days. This unprecedented rapid therapeutic response was seen in all patients and on different forms of psoriatic lesions. An editorial discussion of the new therapy has also been published in the same issue of journal (Kuenzli S et al, Dermatology 2004, Volume 209, Pages 81-83).

Patients who were treated and followed up for more than two years now show a lack of long term adverse effects. Moreover, the new treatment appears to render former treatment sites more resistant to recurrences. The reported therapeutic effects were obtained by topical applications of a cream preparation onto lesions.

However other pharmaceutical forms and modes of application appear also possible and may simplify the treatment further in coming years. Availability of new treatment to the general patient population awaits additional work and regulatory approval.

For additional information contact: Sinan Tas, M.D.,Ph.D.
Richard Strasse 64,
58507 L�denscheid, Germany.
Telephone/Facsimile: + 49. 2351.4335214
sinantas1@yahoo.com

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