What are the novelties in the treatment of psoriasis

The local treatment of psoriasis consists in the use of preparations that are applied directly to the affected areas of the skin.

As therapeutic methods, creams and ointments are applied, which act on the skin, slowing down the growth of its cells and thus reducing inflammatory processes.

According to Joshua Zaincher, MD, dermatologist and director of clinical and cosmetic research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, USA, the main means of topical treatment for psoriasis are steroids, derivatives of vitamins A and D, salicylic acid and coal tar.

Traditional treatment overview

• Steroids – topical preparations that are most commonly used to treat psoriasis, helping to reduce swelling and redness.

According to Zaincher, steroids mainly work by reducing inflammation, but their significant drawback is their ability to cause thinning of the skin, therefore their use should be limited to 2-4 weeks.

Their other side effects are manifested by skin relaxation and discoloration of the skin areas on which they are applied.

Preparations based on steroids for external use, which are usually used for mild or moderate psoriasis, come in the form of creams or gels with different degrees of action, starting from the weakest /class 7/ and ending with the strongest /class 1/. Most of them are available with a prescription.

• Vitamins A and D – treatment using these vitamins helps to normalize rapid skin growth and reduce the formation of psoriatic plaques. The main preparations are:

– Tazarotene – derivative of vitamin A, slows down the growth of cells and the formation of psoriatic plaques. On initial application, it may cause redness.

Its most common side effects are manifested in the form of dryness and irritation of the skin surface. It is also possible to develop increased sensitivity to sunlight, which necessitates the use of strong sunscreens.

Vitamin A derivatives may cause birth defects in the fetus during pregnancy, therefore its use during this period is absolutely contraindicated.

– Calcitriol – a natural form of vitamin D, slowing the growth of skin cells. This topical treatment should only be applied to problem areas of the skin.

It is not recommended to apply it on the face. The most common side effects are itching, irritation, and sensitivity to sunlight.

New methods for the treatment of psoriasis

The results of the study of new methods for the topical treatment of psoriasis were presented at a meeting of the American Pharmacists Association in November 2013

Researchers have announced new possibilities for suppressing psoriasis using a topical treatment that affects the disease genes deep in the skin.

Although these studies were conducted on animals, scientists hope that in the future this will allow more effective treatment of the disease in humans.

Mandip Sadcheva, professor of pharmacology, one of the leading authors of the study notes – “We were able to identify 2 main proteins that play a major role in skin inflammation in psoriasis.”

By blocking the given proteins in an active state, the scientists succeeded at the genetic level in stopping the process that leads to this skin disease.

The new topical treatment method is called Dual-F-NALP. In tests on mice, it was found that within 5 days it helped reduce the degree of severity of psoriasis from an indicator of 4 – the highest, to the lowest – 0.