Scientists from the Centre for Allergy and Environment in Munich (ZAUM), the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Technische Universität München believe they have discovered the causes of atopic eczema and psoriasis. The results of the studies have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The findings of a research study conducted by Stefanie and Kilian Eyerich show that both diseases are caused by an impaired immunological memory.
The couple, who are engaged in research at the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Department of Dermatology and Allergology Biederstein, Technische Universität München (TUM), based their study on a rare group of patients who suffer from both diseases. As their results show, the T-cells of the immune system in the skin activate an inflammatory programme that causes either atopic eczema or psoriasis. Professor Ring, co-author and Director of Department of Dermatology and Allergology Biederstein believes that “this study highlights the critical role of T-cells in psoriasis.”
