Development of Antisense Therapeutics for Psoriasis
Principal Investigator: Sulev Koks, Ph.D., M.D.
Institution: Murdoch University
Grant Mechanism: Translational Research Grant
Funding Amount: $199,900
Project Start Date: August 1, 2025
Project End Date: July 31, 2027
Status: Active
Keywords:
Project Summary:
Psoriasis is one of the most common skin diseases affecting approximately 2.5% of the world's population, particularly the skin and joints. Despite the high prevalence, treatment options are limited, and psoriasis poses a significant challenge to the healthcare system, where most patients do not receive effective and sustainable treatments. This project addresses the treatment of psoriasis by developing a safe and effective innovative drug using “gene patch” technology or antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), which explicitly block the expression of genes involved in psoriasis. The present study aims to perform functional testing of our original and patented ASO therapeutics for treating psoriasis by targeting the IL36 receptor subunit IL1RL2. This drug can be administered for many years without loss of efficiency. The RNA-based therapy, which blocks gene expression, will provide a safe and long-term method for preventing psoriatic lesions, enabling highly efficient and sustainable disease management.
How will your project help improve the lives of the 125 million affected by psoriatic disease?
The project will help to perform preclinical efficacy testing for the new class of drugs for psoriasis, antisense oligonucleotides. These experiments are necessary to advance the developed drugs towards clinical trials and therefore the project will help to improve the lives of psoriasis patients when the product becomes a drug.
Why is psoriatic disease research important to you, personally? What role will this award play in your research efforts or career development?
Psoriasis is significant to me because my father had it, and many of my friends also have it. As a result, I have met numerous people with lived experience of psoriasis. Furthermore, psoriasis has a very strong knowledge base regarding its pathology and molecular aspects, making it a notable breakthrough in treatment approaches. Indeed, the success of biologics demonstrates how reliable and useful molecular information is in rational drug design.
Researcher Profile:
Professor Sulev Koks (MD, PhD, FFSc (RCPA)) is an internationally established medical researcher and professor at Murdoch University, Perth, WA. His research focuses on genomic pathology and genomic medicine of complex diseases.
Prof. Sulev Koks is an internationally recognised researcher in translational genomics and molecular medicine. His work combines clinical genetics, systems biology, and disease modelling to better understand complex disorders, including autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis.
Key Contributions to Psoriasis Research
Discovery of psoriasis biomarkers based on gene expression profiles: Led genome-wide studies identifying differential expression patterns in lesional and non-lesional psoriatic skin, contributing to the discovery of novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets. He identified several psoriasis-specific transcripts involved in the disease's pathogenesis.
Genomic Pathology of Psoriasis: Pioneered network-based analysis of psoriasis-associated gene modules, highlighting immune regulatory circuits and keratinocyte signalling pathways.
Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapeutics: Recently, he developed a pipeline for antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)--based therapeutics targeting psoriasis-specific gene transcripts, progressing towards preclinical proof of concept. He has studied genetic susceptibility loci, such as IL12B, IL36, and IL23R, in patients with psoriasis and their correlation with disease severity and response to therapy and is actively involved in translating genomic discoveries into therapeutic strategies, including RNA-targeted and topical interventions. Secured national and international grants focused on psoriasis and inflammatory skin diseases. Contributed to Horizon Europe and NHMRC-funded projects exploring immune-targeted therapies.
He is a member of the Australasian Society for Dermatology Research (ASDR), the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) and the Human Genetics Society of Australasia (HGSA).