Gene Behind Psoriasis Identified, Researchers Say

April 20th, 2012

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

THURSDAY, April 19 (HealthDay News) — Scientists say they’ve
identified the first gene directly linked to the most common form of
psoriasis, known as plaque psoriasis.

“We have searched for almost two decades to find a single gene linked
to plaque psoriasis,” study senior author Anne Bowcock, professor of
genetics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said in
a university news release. “Individually, the rare mutations we have found
likely confer a high risk for the disease, and we think they will be
important in the search to find new, more effective treatments.”

In conducting the study, researchers used cutting-edge DNA technology
to uncover a rare mutation in the CARD14 gene in a large family of
European descent with a high prevalence of plaque psoriasis and psoriatic
arthritis. They also found the mutation among multiple members of an
extended family from Taiwan who had the condition, which is characterized
by dry, raised, red patches covered with silvery scales.

The genetic mutation was also identified in a 3-year-old girl with a
severe and rare form of psoriasis, but in this case the condition was not
inherited. She developed the condition after being treated for a staph
infection.

“This is significant because it tells us that CARD14 alone plus an
environmental trigger is enough to cause psoriasis,” Bowcock explained.
“You don’t need anything else. This really highlights the importance of
finding rare mutations for common diseases like psoriasis.”

The findings suggest that immune cells are only a secondary cause of
psoriasis. Skin defects, the researchers stated, are the main culprit
behind the condition.

Noting that the family members studied who had psoriatic arthritis also
had the CARD14 mutation, the study authors suggested the rare mutation may
also be involved in at least one other form of psoriasis as well as a
debilitating form of arthritis.

“Now, we have a much clearer picture of what is happening in
psoriasis,” Bowcock concluded. “And now with all kinds of new therapeutic
targets that lie within the CARD14 pathway, the field is wide open.”

The research was released online in advance of print publication in two
separate papers in the May 4 issue of the American Journal of Human
Genetics.

About 7.5 million Americans have psoriasis, the study authors
noted.

More information

The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about psoriasis.