Two new lay summaries published by BIOMAP project

BIOMAP is a Europe-wide collaborative network working towards personalised medicine for people living with psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.

The BIOMAP project has recently published two new lay summaries. One details the search for measurable predictors linked with negative health complications in psoriasis, and the other discusses the search for measurable predictors linked with safe and effective response to treatment in psoriasis. You can read both summaries below.

What is BIOMAP?

Biomarkers in Atopic Dermatitis and Psoriasis (BIOMAP) is a Europe-wide collaborative network of clinicians, researchers, patient organisations and industry partners. It seeks to examine the causes and mechanisms of psoriasis and atopic dermatitis (the most common form of eczema) in order to enable optimal, personalised treatment for people who are living with these conditions. The Psoriasis Association is a member of BIOMAP's Patient Board.

You can find out more about BIOMAP here.

Summary 1: The search for measurable predictors linked with negative health complications in psoriasis

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Psoriasis is a non-contagious, long-term, inflammatory skin condition that affects approximately two in every 100 people in the Western world. It causes uncomfortable, red scaly patches on the skin, and is also linked to associated conditions such as joint disease, high body weight, heart disease and low quality of life.

Biomarkers are molecules that naturally exist within the human body and are often present at different levels in people who are more adversely affected by a condition. Identifying biomarkers that are linked to the negative consequences of psoriasis can help doctors predict who may be more adversely affected during their lifetime. Doctors could potentially implement preventive measures proactively to reduce the devastating impact that psoriasis can have on those most affected.

This area has been subject to intense research effort, with hundreds of studies having been previously performed. To help guide future research, this study systematically searched scientific literature databases with results being evaluated by an expert group of doctors and scientists from several European research centres.

181 studies were identified investigating biomarkers linked with more extensive psoriasis and/or other linked health conditions such as joint disease. 22 promising biomarkers were selected from included studies, although none were supported by sufficient evidence to be used in current practice without further investigation. Several common limitations of approaches to investigate this important question were highlighted following a detailed evaluation of studies.

Findings can help focus future research efforts to facilitate promising biomarkers being used in clinical practice.

The full paper is available to read here.

Summary 2: The search for measurable predictors linked with safe and effective response to treatment in psoriasis

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Psoriasis is a common, non-contagious, long-term, inflammatory skin condition affecting approximately two in every 100 people. People who have psoriasis suffer from uncomfortable, red scaly patches of skin which can have a significant negative impact on their quality of life. New tablet and injectable treatments have transformed the lives of those most affected, although not all experience a beneficial response.

Biomarkers are molecules that naturally exist within the human body and are often present at different levels in people who do not respond well to particular a treatment. Identifying biomarkers that are linked to a poorer treatment response can help doctors pre-emptively select treatments that are more likely to be safe and effective. This could substantially reduce the health impact that uncontrolled psoriasis can have in people whose psoriasis is poorly responsive to treatment.

This has been the focus of major research efforts with hundreds of studies having been performed in this area. To help guide future research, this study systematically searched scientific literature databases with results being evaluated by an expert group of doctors and scientists from several European research centres.

71 studies were identified investigating biomarkers linked with a less effective response or adverse events to tablet or injectable treatments used for psoriasis. Seven promising genetic biomarkers were identified following a detailed evaluation of the higher-quality studies. These biomarkers were found to play key roles in molecular pathways implicated in psoriasis. Findings from this study can help researchers prioritise biomarkers for future focused investigation to confirm their usefulness in clinical practice.

The full paper is available to read here.