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PSORIASIS
ASSOCIATION RESEARCH REPORT
Title
of the research project
Analysis of intracellular calcium signalling in psoriasis
Grant awarded £52, 835
Location of the research University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Lead researcher Professor N Reynolds
Reasons for doing the research
To establish whether calcium signals induced in normal skin cells differ
from those in cells cultured from psoriatic skin.
Type of research
Laboratory study
Dates the grant awarded 2002 & 2003
Date research published 2008
Outcomes of the research
Techniques were developed for imaging the patterns of intracellular
calcium signalling. Using these techniques it was shown that the induction
of calcium signalling in cells derived from psoriatic skin is impaired
when the cells are treated with an inhibitor of an enzyme called calcium-independent
phospholipase A (iPLA2).
Conclusions
The enzyme iPLA2 may play an important role in calcium signalling in
skin cells, which means that by altering its activity it may be possible
artificially to increase intracellular calcium levels. As raised calcium
levels are associated with skin cell differentiation, iPLA2 -generated
increases may provide a mechanism for therapeutic intervention in psoriasis.
What does this project mean for people with psoriasis?
This research is part of on-going work to understand calcium signalling
in skin cells, and to gain insights into the calcium signalling defects
found in psoriasis. Greater understanding increases the chance that
new or improved therapies will be discovered.
Have there been any publications as a result of the research?
Yes. An article has been published in the British Journal of Dermatology.
Glossary
Calcium-independent phospholipase A: This is an enzyme
involved in the metabolism of fats (specifically in the conversion of
one sort of fat (phospholipid) into another (fatty acid)).
Calcium signaling: Calcium ions act as intracellular
signals (i.e. signals that occur within a cell) that influence physiological
processes.
Enzyme inhibitor: This is a small molecule that reduces
the activity of an enzyme.
Skin cell differentiation: Describes the process of normal skin development
that constantly replenishes the upper layers of human skin we lose each
day. This process is abnormal in psoriasis.
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