Targeting IL-12B in Psoriasis with Small Hairpin RNAs
Author Information
Author(s): Bak Rasmus O, Stenderup Karin, Rosada Cecilia, Petersen Line B, Moldt Brian, Dagnæs-Hansen Frederik, Jakobsen Maria, Kamp Søren, Jensen Thomas G, Dam Tomas N, Mikkelsen Jacob Giehm
Primary Institution: Department of Human Genetics, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark
Hypothesis
Is targeting IL-12B mRNA by RNA interference therapeutically relevant in psoriasis?
Conclusion
Targeting IL-12B mRNA in psoriatic skin reduces epidermal thickness but does not significantly improve the psoriatic phenotype.
Supporting Evidence
- IL-12B mRNA levels were reduced by 45% in the skin grafts treated with shIL12B-encoding lentiviral vectors.
- Average epidermal thickness was reduced by 27% in the treated skin grafts compared to controls.
- Treatment with the positive control, Betnovat, showed a significant reduction in epidermal thickness.
Takeaway
The study tested a new treatment for psoriasis that uses tiny RNA molecules to lower a specific protein, but it didn't help the skin condition as much as hoped.
Methodology
Lentiviral vectors encoding anti-IL12B shRNAs were injected into xenografted psoriatic skin, and effects were evaluated by clinical scoring and measurements of epidermal thickness.
Potential Biases
Potential bias in clinical scoring due to subjective assessment.
Limitations
The study had a limited sample size and the clinical improvement was not statistically significant.
Participant Demographics
Psoriatic skin biopsies were obtained from seven patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.10
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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