Immune dysfunction and epidermal barrier dysfunction are two key factors in the atopic dermatitis (AD) pathogenesis. “In my belief, the most promising approach is not improving the barrier function, but primarily using anti-inflammatory agents,” said Prof. Eric Simpson (Oregon Health & Science University, USA) [1]. At present, there are two important therapeutic gaps: “We need a more efficacious topical therapy…
Tag: Conference Articles
Dr Peter Lio (Northwestern University Chicago, USA) discussed possible food triggers in eczema patients [1]. The role of food allergies is not only an important issue for patients but also for clinicians. Patients are often convinced that food is the main driver of their atopic dermatitis (AD), or parents believe it is a trigger in their children with AD. Studies…
Introduction Over the past two centuries, there has been a gradual paradigm change in the way we look at chronic inflammatory airway diseases, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), shifting away from prototypic, organ-centred disease labels, coined by William Osler at the end of the 19th century, to differentiated disease subsets [1]. During the second half of the…
The therapeutic landscape of atopic dermatitis changed tremendously in the previous decade. Novel insights into the pathogenesis enabled researchers to find important targets for therapy. With regard to topical therapy, novel hyperselective phosphodiesterase-4 blockers show promising results. Increased cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity in peripheral blood leukocytes is associated with the immune and inflammatory hyperreactivity that characterises atopic…
Atopic dermatitis (AD) involves barrier defects of the epidermis as well as skin inflammation and is often characterised by a debilitating itch. The role of interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1⍺) is not yet completely understood. “It is not clear what role IL-1⍺ plays in skin, but it is already an important player in oncology,” said Prof. Eric Simpson (Oregon Health & Science…
In a pooled analysis of the SINUS-24 and SINUS-52 trials, dupilumab significantly improved both upper and lower airway outcomes compared with placebo in patients with severe chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps and comorbid asthma [1]. Dr Jorge Maspero (Fundación CIDEA, Argentina) presented the research in a late-breaking clinical trial session, pointing out that asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps…
The fully human, monoclonal, IL-13 blocker tralokinumab showed to be highly effective in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) [1]. Dysregulation of cell-mediated immune response plays a key role in the pathogenesis of AD. As a result, IL-13 and other type 2 cytokines are overexpressed. The presented phase 2b trial included 204 adult patients with moderate-to-severe AD. For 12 weeks,…
New research shows that the asthma drug benralizumab did not statistically decrease annual COPD exacerbation rates for patients with moderate to very severe COPD, a history of frequent moderate and/or severe exacerbations, and eosinophilic inflammation; although the team did report numeric decreases (GALATHEA/TERRANOVA trials). The data were published in the New England Journal of Medicine in conjunction with Prof. Gerard…
Prof. Peter van de Kerkhof (Radboud University Medical Center, the Netherlands) presented situations where dimethyl fumarate might be considered as a first-line treatment for psoriasis. Acitretin (synthesised retinoic acid) has a potent activity in pustular psoriasis and erythrodermic psoriasis as monotherapy. In chronic plaque psoriasis, it has a strong therapeutic activity, particularly in combination with phototherapy/UVB. Dimethyl fumarate and acitretin…
Prof. Emma Guttman-Yassky (Mount Sinai Medical School, USA) shakes down the similarities and differences between psoriasis vulgaris and chronic atopic dermatitis (AD) and concludes that they fall under the same pathomechanistic umbrella but with very distinct features [1]. For example, both psoriasis vulgaris and chronic AD are generally characterised by nearly indistinguishable histological psoriasiform dermatitis. At a mechanistic level we…