New Frontiers

The National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) has the purpose and passion for advancing psoriatic disease research. To help enable these advances, NPF leans on the NPF Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) which is composed of dermatologists, rheumatologists, basic scientists, and industry representatives with experience in basic, translational, and clinical research.

Earlier in August 2021, NPF spoke with Wilson Liao, M.D., professor and Vice Chair of Research for the University of California San Francisco Department of Dermatology, for a Psound Bytes Podcast CME episode to discuss a recent Journal of Investigative Dermatology review article he and the other SAC members authored, titled, New Frontiers in Psoriatic Disease Research, Part I: Genetics, Environmental Triggers, Immunology, Pathophysiology, and Precision Medicine.  This was the first of this two-part review.

“We [SAC members] thought it was really important to write and disseminate an up-to-date review summarizing the latest scientific discoveries in psoriatic disease research,” Dr. Liao shared during the conversation.

In this podcast, Dr. Liao discusses the genetic susceptibility to psoriasis, mentioning how over 63 genes contribute to psoriasis. “The fact that multiple genes contribute to psoriasis means psoriasis risks exist on a gradient,” he says. This conversation leads into a discussion about genes involved in host defense and potential genetic overlap between psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

Dr. Liao also discussed external triggers for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA), noting that some research suggests there may be gender differences where alcohol was a risk factor for psoriasis in men but not women. He also added that smoking is shown to increase of risk of developing psoriasis. Further, in this episode he discusses other triggers, including biomechanical stress for PsA development and various infections such as HIV and periodontitis.