Scalp Psoriasis

Experimental drug Ustekinumab by Johnson & Johnson has shown to be effective in the treatment of moderate to severe cases of psoriasis.  For more information, go to CNNMoney.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Abbott Laboratories’ drug Humira for treatment of moderate to severe cases of psoriasis in adults. Humira, initially approved for use in treating rheumatoid arthritis, was approved last year for treating Crohn’s disease and psoriasitic arthritis.  For more on the story, go to the Chicago Sun-Times.

A team of researchers at Wyeth Research may have found the molecule that triggers psoriasis. By injecting mice with antibodies that neutralize the IL-22 molecule they were able to prevent the development of psoriasis-like lesions. Similarly, by injecting IL-22 into the skin of normal mice they found that it triggered the development of skin lesions. For more on this research, go to U.S. News & World Report.

A new study out of Northwestern University shows that the majority of children with psoriasis that were treated with Enbrel had a 75% or greater improvement in psoriasis symptoms. The study, funded by Amgen and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, is being published in the New England Journal of Medicine. For more information on the study, go to WebMD.

Synvista Therapeutics and Novel Therapeutic Technologies will work together to create a topical cream formulation of ALT-2074 for the treatment of psoriasis. ALT-2074 is a leading compounds under development for use in cardiovascular disease. The companies believe that the new cream may be a promising treatment for plaque psoriasis. For more information on this research, visit Yahoo! Finance.

A british and american research team has found that sufferers of severe psoriasis have a life expectancy of 3.5 years less than those without severe psoriasis. The study notes that to put this in perspective, the risk of death is higher than those studied with severe hypertension. Mild cases of psoriasis were not found to have an increased risk of death. What does this all mean?  We need a cure for psoriasis!  For more information on the severe psoriasis and death study, go to WebMD.

Well, it’s that time of year again.  As much fun as the holidays are, they can be a stressful time, too.  Whether you are dealing with stress at work, such as meeting year-end goals or quotas, or stress at home like how to afford the Christmas or Hanukkah gifts, the period between Thanksgiving and the new year can be especially stressful.

Why does this matter on a site devoted to psoriasis you ask?  Because it’s been proven that stress can contribute to exacerbated symptoms of psoriasis.  This on top of the cold (and dry) weather setting in, which can also lead to flare-ups.  So, what can we do about it to try to reduce the inevitable flare-ups?

Relax.

Easy for me to say, huh?  But it’s true.  The majority of stress is pressure or anxiety that you place on yourself.  Some of the best ways to reduce stress are to exercise, eat right, and get enough sleep.  What else can you do?  Try not to sweat the small stuff.  We all have plenty of reasons to be stressed or anxious, let go of the fact that the jerk in the nice SUV cut you off in traffic this morning, it just doesn’t matter.  For more on psoriasis and stress, check out the Mayo Clinic website.

A European research group has found that genetic variations could increase the risk of suffering from psoriasis.  In other words, researchers appear to be zeroing in on the specific gene that causes certain people to be more or less prone to having psoriasis.  Once this has been identified, scientists will be able to find more reliable treatment for psoriasis, then ultimately a cure for psoriasis.  For more information on the genetic element of psoriasis, go to the Arthritis Research Campaign.

Abbott’s HUMIRA(R) has shown considerable improvement for plaque psoriasis sufferers.  In a clinical study, 71% of those tested showed a significant reduction in the signs and symptoms of plaque psoriasis in 16 weeks.  For more information on the improved psoriasis symptoms study, go to the Medical News Today website.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have awarded a grant of $6.37 million to Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and University Hospitals Case Medical Center for psoriasis research.  It is one of the largest grants ever to a medical institution for the purpose of psoriasis research.  For more information on the psoriasis research grant, go to the Bio-Medicine website.