World's leading psoriasis researchers gather in France
First posted and last updated April 25, 2002
The world's leading psoriasis genetics researchers are gathering from April 26-28 in Nice, France, at the sixth meeting of the International Psoriasis Genetics Committee (IPGC) to compare what they have learned in the search for psoriasis genes.
Sponsored by the NPF, the IPGC was founded in 1995 to bring together the world's leading investigators in psoriasis genetics. The researchers compare data and further refine their approach to unraveling the genetic secrets of psoriasis.
Most recently, for instance, IPGC researchers from six countries published an article in the March issue of Human Molecular Genetics stating that a gene called HCR is highly responsible for people's susceptibility to psoriasis. The HCR gene is located on chromosome 6 in a region that was first discovered associated with psoriasis in 1997. Since then, researchers have been focusing more intently on the region and are now narrowing in on specific genes that are involved in psoriasis.
Research is continuing on other chromosomes to find other genes involved. Gene regions believed to be associated with psoriasis on chromosomes 1, 3, 4, 6, 16, 17, 19 and 20 are being pursued.
Such research promises to lead to new and more effective therapies. Already, new treatments based on genetic research have been developed to inhibit cells that play important roles in psoriasis. With the discovery of genes for psoriasis, scientists could use existing technology to develop treatments that inhibit the development of these cells. In other words, they could prevent the disease at its earliest stages.
At least 14 researchers from around the world have formed major collaborations through the IPGC. Other leading experts are invited to the meeting each year in the hope that further collaborations will be formed.
The French, Swedish and Italian psoriasis associations also have been facilitating genetics research in their countries. The NPF is in communication with these groups, and the researchers they work with attend the IPGC meeting.
Considering the "less-than-friendly" competition that can exist among medical research laboratories pursuing similar goals, the collaborative effort represented by the IPGC is significant. During the two-day meeting in Nice, there will be keynote presentations and updates from IPGC researchers on the latest breakthroughs in the field.
The group is expected to reach a consensus on the best strategy for advancing genetics research in the coming year, and the NPF will provide an update on the outcome of the meeting on this Web site and in future publications.
IPGC history
The IPGC was established in 1995, shortly after the discovery of the first location of a possible gene for psoriasis. Yet inspiration for the IPGC dates back to 1989, when the NPF invited U.S. and international scientists to Deer Valley, Utah, for a workshop focused on psoriasis.
Among the scientists' recommendations was the establishment of a large, centralized psoriasis tissue depository—a "bank" of blood samples from people in families with psoriasis that researchers could use to conduct genetic studies. The NPF and its members responded and formed the National Psoriasis Tissue Bank (NPTB).
Approximately four years later, in 1994, the NPTB opened its doors. Researchers were quick to use it as a resource. Using data from the Tissue Bank, Anne Bowcock, Ph.D., and her team at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center published an article in the prestigious journal Science that announced the first location of a suspected gene for psoriasis, on chromosome 17.
The NPF then acted on a recommendation from Dr. Bowcock to bring together researchers from around the world to collaborate and conduct large studies using the Tissue Bank's data. Hence, the IPGC was formed.
Previous meetings of the IPGC have been held in Stockholm, Sweden; Dallas; London and Cologne, Germany, where some of the world's leading investigators in the field are located.
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