[Interleukin-20--a new target in psoriasis treatment]

Ugeskr Laeger. 2008 Sep 1;170(36):2777-81.
[Article in Danish]

Abstract

Interleukin-20 (IL-20) is suggested as a new target in psoriasis treatment. It was first described in 2001, and the potential role of this cytokine in psoriasis was suggested because mice which were over-expressing IL-20 developed a psoriasis-like phenotype of the skin. Subsequently, IL-20 expression levels were found to be increased in psoriasis skin, and it was observed that these levels normalized upon psoriasis treatment. In the psoriasis xenograft transplantation model, administration of IL-20 to non-lesional psoriasis skin transplanted onto immune-deficient mice demonstrated that IL-20 was involved in the psoriasis induction. More interestingly, improvement of psoriasis was induced by blocking IL-20 signaling.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Factors / therapeutic use
  • Interleukins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Interleukins / immunology
  • Interleukins / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Psoriasis / drug therapy*
  • Psoriasis / immunology
  • Psoriasis / metabolism
  • Receptors, Interleukin / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Skin / metabolism

Substances

  • Immunologic Factors
  • Interleukins
  • Receptors, Interleukin
  • interleukin 20