Are we close to a cure for psoriasis?

The answer to this question, as of yet, is inconclusive, but it is encouraging. At least, the words of Álvaro González Cantero, a dermatologist and researcher specializing in psoriasis , are: "The most recent advances indicate that we are getting closer and closer to a satisfactory solution for the disease."

The specialist, who practices at the Ramón y Cajal University Hospital and the Pedro Jaén Dermatology Group , states that "we are facing a true revolution, advancing at an ever-increasing pace " in terms of psoriasis treatments.

In fact, the expert believes that this disease presents a curious situation: advances in the fight against it barely reach patients, who often become discouraged and even isolate themselves due to a pathology about which there is still a great deal of ignorance.

"Hence the importance of communicating these advances," says the dermatologist. Among the most notable is the possibility "of employing advanced therapies, which include the use of mesenchymal cells, that is, RNA editing and its relationship with CAR-T cells," according to González Cantero.

Let's define psoriasis

It is a relatively common dermatological and inflammatory disease . It affects approximately 2% of the Spanish population. Based on this percentage, it is estimated that more than one million people in Spain are affected by this condition.

Advances in the fight against the disease barely reach patients, who often become discouraged.

Individuals who suffer from it "have a genetic predisposition, so that certain stimuli, such as the presence of infections or even stress, induce this abnormal inflammatory response, producing these dermatological lesions," according to Anna López Ferrer, coordinator of the Spanish Psoriasis Group of the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, AEDV .

Skin manifestations

The main symptoms and early manifestations are cutaneous . "Plaques appear that are characterized by being red, scaly, and somewhat thick. They typically affect extended skin surfaces, such as the elbows or knees, although they can generally appear anywhere, even in more hidden areas such as skin folds, the scalp, or even the nails ," says the dermatologist.

But in many patients, internal inflammation develops that can affect other organs. Although it initially causes no symptoms, over time it can lead to a series of complications that patients should be aware of and alert to. Therefore, multidisciplinary care is essential.

Beyond dermatological problems

The complications that psoriasis can present are related to the comorbidities it presents , which can be grouped into three groups. López Ferrer: “On the one hand, one-third of patients with psoriasis have an association with psoriatic arthritis, which means they will experience joint pain and symptoms.”

They may also experience cardiovascular complications , which means, in the expert's words, that "they have a higher risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and even ischemic heart disease, and are more likely to have heart attacks or ischemic heart disease in general." This is why, according to González Cantero, these patients should "monitor their cholesterol, hypertension, and diabetes levels..."

There is a third group of complications, which would be those related to mental state: "Having a chronic disease and having it be visible to others means that many patients have higher rates of depression and anxiety than the general population," concludes the psoriasis expert from the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (AEDV ).