US Pharm. 2014;39(3):61.
New York, NY—Investigators at The Rockefeller University made a surprising discovery that may pave the way for treatment of pigmentation changes that can occur after flare-ups of not only psoriasis, but also eczema and acne. The two cytokines that are overexpressed in psoriasis—interleukin-17 and tumor necrosis factor—were found to play a role in postoutbreak pigment changes in addition to their known role in the outbreak itself. Psoriasis lesions with high levels of these cytokines also had more melanocytes than are typically found in noncancerous skin, a phenomenon previously thought to occur only in early melanocytic tumors, such as melanomas. The investigators expect this insight to impact the design of future therapies for skin disorders.
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