Protein may be key to psoriasis and wound care
Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder in which skin cells proliferate out of control. For some hard-to-heal wounds, the problem is just the opposite: Restorative skin cells don't grow well or fast enough. In a paper published in the June 21, 2012 issue of Immunity, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine describe a molecule that may lead to new treatments for both problems.
An international team of scientists led by principal investigator Richard L. Gallo, MD, PhD, professor of medicine and chief of UC San Diego's Division of Dermatology, analyzed skin biopsies of patients with and without psoriasis, as well as the skin of mice with psoriasis and with wounds on their backs. They discovered that a molecule called regenerating islet-derived protein 3-alpha (REG3A) is highly expressed in skin cells during psoriasis and wound-healing, but not under normal skin conditions.
In tests on mice, researchers found that inhibiting REG3A slowed wound-healing but cleared up psoriasis, which is commonly characterized by patches of inflammation and white, scaly skin.
The scientists also noted that REG3A acts in concert with interleukin-17 (IL-17), an immune system protein involved in the signaling cascade which prompts skin cells to multiply in excess numbers. "IL-17 binds to receptors on skin cells and causes REG3A to be expressed, which then binds to another protein inside the cells that promotes cell growth," said first author Yuping Lai, PhD, professor of microbiology and immunity at East China Normal University in Shanghai.
Gallo said the discovery of REG3A's dual roles provides a new target for different therapies.
"A drug that inhibits the expression of REG3A could represent a more targeted way to treat psoriasis without the systemic immunosuppression problems of current treatments. Conversely, a drug that stimulates or mimics REG3A could boost cell growth and improve wound healing."
More information: Lai et al.: "The Antimicrobial Protein REG3A Regulates Keratinocyte Proliferation and Differentiation after Skin Injury." DOI:10.1016/j.immuni.2012.04.010
Journal reference:
Immunity
Provided by
University of California - San Diego
-
Relief from red, itchy skin: Unraveling the secrets of vitamin D
May 12, 2011 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Green tea holds promise as new treatment for inflammatory skin diseases
Aug 07, 2007 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Treatment of psoriasis gets new hope
Jan 10, 2012 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Small molecules may explain psoriasis
Jul 11, 2007 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Artificial skin system can heal wounds
Dec 20, 2007 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Motion perception revisited: High Phi effect challenges established motion perception assumptions
Apr 23, 2013 |
3 / 5 (2) |
2
-
Anything you can do I can do better: Neuromolecular foundations of the superiority illusion (Update)
Apr 02, 2013 |
4.5 / 5 (11) |
5
-
The visual system as economist: Neural resource allocation in visual adaptation
Mar 30, 2013 |
5 / 5 (2) |
9
-
Separate lives: Neuronal and organismal lifespans decoupled
Mar 27, 2013 |
4.9 / 5 (8) |
0
-
Sizing things up: The evolutionary neurobiology of scale invariance
Feb 28, 2013 |
4.8 / 5 (10) |
14
-
Indeterminism in Classical Physics
2 hours ago
-
Current in two wires
2 hours ago
-
understanding the dipole model for Rayleigh scattering
4 hours ago
-
question on coriolis effect with drag force
10 hours ago
-
Question of reflection and transmission of TEM wave in normal incidenc
16 hours ago
-
the rudyak-krasnolutski effective potencial
17 hours ago
- More from Physics Forums - Classical Physics
More news stories
Vaccine blackjack: IL-21 critical to fight against viral infections
(Medical Xpress)—Scientists at Emory Vaccine Center have shown that an immune regulatory molecule called IL-21 is needed for long-lasting antibody responses in mice against viral infections.
Immunology
May 23, 2013 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
|
Fast-acting mothers' milk for healthier babies
Human breastmilk responds quickly to protect the child when there is an infection in mothers or babies, according to new international research led by The University of Western Australia.
Immunology
May 23, 2013 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
New immune system discovered
(Medical Xpress)—A research team, led by Jeremy Barr, a biology post-doctoral fellow, unveils a new immune system that protects humans and animals from infection.
Immunology
May 20, 2013 |
4.8 / 5 (26) |
8
|
Vitamin D could provide new and effective treatments for asthma
(Medical Xpress)—Scientists at King's College London have discovered that Vitamin D has the potential to significantly reduce the symptoms of asthma. The study, led by Professor Catherine Hawrylowicz from ...
Immunology
May 20, 2013 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
|
Immune protein could stop diabetes in its tracks
Melbourne researchers have identified an immune protein that has the potential to stop or reverse the development of type 1 diabetes in its early stages, before insulin-producing cells have been destroyed.
Immunology
May 20, 2013 |
5 / 5 (5) |
0
|
Engineered cytomegalovirus protects monkeys from HIV equivalent
(Medical Xpress)—A new study by researchers in the US has shown that an ancient virus can be modified to help in the fight against the simian immunodeficiency virus SIV, which is the equivalent in monkeys ...
Help at hand for people with schizophrenia
How can healthy people who hear voices help schizophrenics? Finding the answer for this is at the centre of research conducted at the University of Bergen.
Breathing exercises help veterans find peace after war, scholar says
(Medical Xpress)—Research by Stanford scholar Emma Seppala at the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education found that post-traumatic stress disorder decreased in veterans who participated ...
Do doctors understand the individualisation of treatments?
The individualisation of drug treatments to support patients to self-manage their conditions is a concept that sits at the heart of policy, but a recent study in BMJ Open shows that there is no concrete defini ...
Reducing experimental inflammatory arthritis
(Medical Xpress)—UCD researchers led by Conway Fellow, Professor David Brayden in UCD School of Veterinary Medicine have successfully reduced inflammation in the swollen arthritic knees of a murine model using a novel nanoparticle.
Ground breaking cancer research finds immune system link
(Medical Xpress)—Curtin University researchers have found evidence that targeting specific cells in the body can reverse the effects of cancer on the immune system.