A TOP skin doctor in Spain has claimed experts are getting closer and closer to a cure for psoriasis.
The skin condition affects up to 3% of the Spanish population and millions of others worldwide.
Psoriasis is a chronic, autoimmune disease which sees skin cells build up too quickly, causing red or discoloured, scaly, and itchy patches on the skin.
The patches can become extremely irritable in some patients, depending on the severity of their case.
While there are many steroid-based treatments available to manage symptoms, a catch-all cure has yet to be found.
But that day could be just around the corner, according to Dr Alvaro Gonzalez Cantero from the Ramon y Cajal University Hospital and Pedro Jaen Dermatology Group.
Speaking at the Psoriasis Revolution conference, he said: ‘Every day we are closer to a cure for psoriasis… the most recent advances indicate that we are getting closer and closer to a satisfactory solution for the disease more quickly.’
He added that research into the conditon is ‘facing a true revolution’ with incredible progress.
He predicts the future of psoriasis treatment will adopt advanced therapies such as ‘mesenchymal stem cell therapy’, a highly complex process that involves RNA editing, changing its interaction with CAR-T cells.
However, he lamented that advances already made are not reaching patients, leaving many of them unaware of better treatments.
The expert said countless sufferers ‘gave up years ago’ when they were told there was little that could be done to help them, adding that there needs to be more awareness of the treatments available.
He continued: ‘We have identified that there are advances, but they are not reaching patients…
‘Hence the importance of communicating them, and of doing so through great professionals, but also through other patients and socially recognised figures, as this motivates patients who were discouraged, isolated, and afraid of showing their lesions.’
Dr Cantero also warned psoriasis sufferers to have their heart and bone health checked, as up to 30% of them can develop comorbidities.
The condition can lead to internal inflammation that can affect other organs, which over time can lead to cardiovascular disease at an early age.
“At the cardiovascular level, it is essential for these patients to control classic risk factors, such as cholesterol levels, hypertension, diabetes,” he said.
Psoriasis sufferers with swelling in their fingers or joints or a morning limp should also see a rheumatologist.
“Early detection of these signs helps identify comorbidities associated with psoriasis, which is crucial for its prevention and control,” Dr Cantero added.
