Scientists Discover Protein Responsible for the Development of Psoriasis and Dermatitis

An international team of researchers led by the head of the dermatology department at the Israeli Sourasky (Ichilov) Medical Center has identified a protein that is responsible for the onset of two diseases—psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. They also determined the conditions under which both skin pathologies develop.

Every year, the number of people suffering from allergic diseases increases worldwide. The most common among them are psoriasis and atopic dermatitis (eczema), which manifest as specific skin lesions and severe itching. Statistics show that they are diagnosed in one out of every five children and one out of every ten adults.

Several years ago, scientists established that both diseases have a genetic nature and develop under the influence of certain internal factors. In the new study, they aimed to find out why similar mutations in some individuals lead to the development of psoriasis, while in others, they lead to atopic dermatitis.

The results of their experiment were recently published by the international group of scientists, led by a professor from a leading Israeli clinic and head of the allergy laboratory at the National Institutes of Health in the USA, in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Both diseases, as the researchers found, are caused by specific mutations in the CARD14 gene: they increase the ability of the protein it encodes to activate another protein, which in turn controls the expression of several factors responsible for skin inflammation. The difference is that with high activity of this protein, a person develops psoriasis, while with reduced activity, atopic dermatitis occurs. According to the researchers, it acts as a kind of "switch" between the two diseases.

The fact is that the CARD14 protein serves as the main regulator of the synthesis of antibacterial factors, which are responsible, among other things, for the course of the inflammatory process. The study showed that in patients with psoriasis, the level of antibacterial factors in skin cells is elevated, while in those suffering from atopic dermatitis, it is decreased. This is the reason why eczema is often associated with secondary infections, which are not characteristic of psoriasis.

Now, scientists intend to establish how exactly CARD14 controls the production of antibacterial factors. According to them, this should help in creating new effective treatment methods for both pathologies that will improve the quality of life for patients.