An agent used to treat psoriasis may be aimed at the wrong target

Common psoriasis, also called psoriasis vulgaris, is an inflammatory skin disease that is characterized by severely scaling skin in areas ranging from small to palm-sized. The disease is estimated to affect between two and three percent of all Europeans. The cause is said to be immune system malfunctions: the underlying mechanism involves the immune cells reacting to skin cells. Neutralizing the inflammation messengers as effective therapy. The treatment therefore aims to 'pick off' the inflammation messengers. For example, the antibody ustekinumab binds the two interleukins IL-12 and IL-23 and consequently inhibit their supposed proinflammatory effects. The substance is especially used to fight plaque psoriasis in patients who fail to respond to superficial therapies.