Dr. Arup Indra, Associate Professor of Pharmacology at the College of Pharmacy, recently published a study in the journal PLOS ONE which indicated a link between atopic dermatitis (eczema) and a lack of protein Ctip2. According to Dr. Indra, Ctip2 helps to control lipid biosynthesis in skin, the fats that keep skin healthy and hydrated. Additionally, it works to suppress TSLP, a protein produced by skin cells that can trigger inflammation. A genetic flaw with some eczema sufferers results in insufficient quantities of Ctip2 produced in the skin cells.
In laboratory mice with the Ctip2 removed from specific skin cells, levels of TSLP were found to be 1,000 times higher indicating that adequate levels of Ctip2 are required for skin to maintain the lipids needed to stay healthy and protect itself. This research opens the door for new options in treating eczema, a disease that currently has no cure and whose current long-term treatment options are fraught with serious side effects.
Read more about Dr. Indra’s research in the Corvallis Gazette Times here and the Business Standard here.
