Open Access

ARTICLE

Cytokines as potential therapeutic targets for inflammatory skin diseases

Robert P. Numerof^a, Charles A. Dinarello^b, Khusru Asadullah^c

a RBA Dermatology USA, Berlex Biosciences, 2600 Hilltop Drive, PO Box 4099, Richmond, CA 94804-0099, USA
b University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, CO, USA
c CRBA Dermatology, Schering AG, Berlin, Germany

* Corresponding Author: R. Numerof,

European Cytokine Network 2005, 16(2), 101-103.

Abstract

A network of pro-inflammatory cytokines is a central feature in the pathophysiology of cutaneous inflammatory diseases. Thus, the delineation of precise roles for particular cytokines and the development of cytokine-directed therapeutics have become areas of intense investigation. While anti-TNF therapeutics have proven to be effective for the treatment of psoriasis, clinical investigations have now begun with other cytokine-directed therapies, such as those targeting IFN-g, IL-12p40, and IL-18. In addition to therapeutics that target cytokines directly, strategies that target cytokine signaling pathways are in development too. In this short review, we summarize key findings from a recent workshop on cytokines as potential therapeutic targets for inflammatory skin diseases.

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Keywords

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