Psoriasis and Inflammation

The effectiveness of immunosuppressive therapy in the treatment of psoriasis has helped researchers to better understand the basic properties of the disease. "The skin is constantly exposed to noxious, foreign stimuli," says Jerome Shupack, MD. "Each of us has an intrinsic system for responding to this stimuli. But in people with psoriasis, this 'thermostat' reacts at too fine a setting. As a result, any small scratch can set off the uncontrolled inflammation we know as psoriasis." This is the body's response to what it perceives as a major threat. The false alarm causes activation of specialized white blood cells or lymphocytes, known as T cells. Cyclosporin works by inhibiting the T cell activation that has gone awry in the psoriasis patient.

"I Can Visit People"

For patient Marie Gialleonardo, even everyday activities like walking and sleeping were difficult. "When the sheet touched me, it was terribly uncomfortable," she recalls. "And there were times when walking was painful. I couldn't get around very much." But now, thanks to immunosuppressive therapy, Marie is enjoying a dramatic improvement. "I can go out now. I can go visit people. I can go shopping," she says. "I couldn't do that before." Marie's success offers hope that others with recalcitrant psoriasis will escape years of embarrassment to confidently move about in public, meet people and enjoy family and friends.

About NYU's Skin and Cancer Unit

NYU Medical Center's Skin and Cancer Unit is grounded in a 120-year history of clinical excellence and leadership in dermatologic research. Today, the unit maintains the largest dermatology training program in the nation and was the first with a dedicated program in dermato-pharmacology.