Cyclic AMP and psoriasis — science newsApril 29, 1972
[A team of dermatologists] found that cyclic AMP levels in psoriasis lesions are significantly lower than in healthy skin.… [The team] he is now trying to find out if cyclic AMP deficiency causes psoriasis and to develop a drug to increase cyclic AMP levels in psoriasis lesions.
To update
Affecting 2 to 3 percent of the world’s population, psoriasis is an inflammatory skin disease characterized by red, scaly patches that itch or burn. Low levels of cyclic AMP, a key chemical messenger for cell communication, have not been found to cause the disease. Psoriasis stems from an overactive immune response. Cyclic AMP is just a player along with other chemical messengers and immune cells, and certain genetic variants can make a person more susceptible. The choice among a variety of treatment options today depends in part on the severity of the disease and the areas of the body affected. A drug, called apremilast, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2014, increases levels of cyclic AMP, among other actions.