A FOCUS ON IL-17 TARGETING TREATMENTS IN PSORIASIS

Abstract

Psoriasis is a frequent and chronicle disease of the skin and less often of the joint that associates erythema, keratinizing troubles and inflammatory phenomenon. Usually benign, it can severely impacts quality of life in patients suffering from severe forms. Appearing in 2005, biotherapies like Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha inhibitors have permitted outstanding clinical response and brought patients the hope of durable disease remission. Nevertheless, treatments efficacy tends to decrease over time leading to symptoms relapsein many patients, for which new treatment targets have been needed.Recent advances in molecular biology, and genetics, have allowed the characterization of a distinct subtype of T helper lymphocyte found as infiltrates surrounding the capillaries in the dermis and the epidermis in psoriasis-presenting patients. These Th17 helper cells express and secrete a pro-inflammatory cytokine called interleukin 17,which play a key-role in inflammation and psoriasis pathophysiology. Therefore, molecules interfering with this pathway have been studied intensively;the purpose of this review is to report the results of such strategy. Keywords: psoriasis, inflammation, interleukin 17, interleukin 17-inhibitors