Psoriasis Susceptibility Genes Identified

Researchers studying the autoimmune skin disease psoriasis have identified three genes on chromosome 17 that are activated incorrectly in a significant number of psoriasis patients.

Psoriasis occurs more frequently in individuals with human immunodeficiency virus, and 20–30% of individuals with psoriasis have psoriatic arthritis. A defect in immune signaling causes skin cells to regenerate too quickly, every three to four days instead of the usual 30-day cycle. Extra skin cells build up on the epidermis, forming red, flaky, scaly lesions. Investigators at Washington University (St. Louis, MO, USA) performed genome analysis on tissue samples maintained in the [U.S.] National Psoriasis Tissue Bank. They reported in the December 2003 issue of Nature Genetics that most psoriasis sufferers carried at least three genes on chromosome 17 that did not activate properly.

"Over the next few years, researchers are going to identify a large number of psoriasis susceptibility genes,” explained senior author Dr. Anne M. Bowcock, professor of genetics at Washington University. "These will be important building blocks toward finding a cure in the future. In the meantime, the findings could help pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies craft the next generation of medications to treat the disease, and ultimately lead to more successful management of psoriasis.”



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