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Israeli Scientists Make Breakthrough in Treatment for Psoriasis

February 27, 2013 12:02 pm 4 comments

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Zach Pontz

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Model of Interleukin 17F. Photo: Wikipedia

Researchers from Ben-Gurion University in collaboration with Teva Pharmaceuticals have developed an improved version of an experimental medicine for the treatment of the chronic skin disease psoriasis.

Dr. Marianna Zaretsky and Professor Amir Aharoni, from Ben-Gurion University and the National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, working with Drs. Liora Tabron, Yoel Kay and Revital Etzioni from Teva, have engineered a transgenic receptor that binds with high affinity to natural interleukin-17.

Psoriasis is caused by the immune system sending out faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle of skin cells. One of the signals involved in the process is interleukin-17. The researchers have developed a new method to inhibit interleukin-17, and hopefully decrease the inflammation associated with psoriasis.

“We developed this method to treat patients who did not respond to existing treatments,” Aharoni said.

According to the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations, upwards of 125 million people suffer worldwide from the disease. Celebrities including Kim Kardashian and Art Garfunkel have battled publicly with the disease.

4 Comments

rhiannon

June 4, 2013
9:04 pm

I would love too learn more about this method here in Australia

Reply
frank soong

May 15, 2013
5:38 am

how can I see more detail for this new method? thanks

Reply
Mervyn Tan

March 12, 2013
3:50 pm

Is this treatment similar to biologic injections or an oral medication? Is there anyway for me to get my hands on it in Singapore to try out?

Reply
- Maurichia
  
  April 11, 2013
  11:19 am
  
  At this point i will try anything…. please advice what to use and where to get it.
  
  Reply

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