Body’s Natural Defenses Could Help Cure Eczema
There’s new hope for the millions of people who suffer from a painful form of eczema.
Researchers from the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom have discovered a peptide, or portions of amino acids, that can encourage skin cells to produce a naturally occurring protective compound — a substance that those living with eczema are usually lacking.
People who have been diagnosed with this skin condition are at a greater risk of carrying a bacteria known as Staphylococcus aureus on their skin, which can infect skin lesions and cause damage to the natural skin barrier. Also, these individuals rarely produce the peptide human beta-defensin 2 (hBD2), a compound that is known to kill bacteria and is vital to preventing skin damage.
The study authors found that applying a topical form of hBD2 to skin cells grown in a lab had the ability to help the skin remain intact, with the cells showing strengthened protection against bacterial damage. As a result, the investigators are optimistic about future remedies for this disease, since conventional methods, such as steroid creams, can become less effective with continued use.
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“This is a great chance to work with something that the body makes naturally to develop new therapies for atopic eczema, which affects so many people’s lives,” stated Donald J. Davidson, PhD, from the University of Edinburgh’s Medical Research Council Center for Inflammation Research, in a press release.
Atopic dermatitis (also referred to as AD) is the most common type of eczema and affects approximately 17.8 million Americans, according to the National Eczema Association. It’s estimated that 10 percent of people worldwide will be affected by this condition — an unbearable itch, usually on the cheeks, arms, and legs, which becomes red and inflamed — at some point.
“The use of beta-defensin 2 as a topical treatment of eczema and atopic dermatitis is novel!” Kaleroy Papantoniou, MD, a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist and a clinical instructor at Mount Sinai Health Center in New York City, tells Yahoo Beauty. “We know that in these conditions, the cells are often not able to produce beta-defensin 2 in response to inflammation or infection, and this molecule is part of the essential cellular immunity necessary to fight infection and promote healing.”
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Overall, she considers this latest research “promising.”
“Further studies will be needed, but this could open up a new approach to treating skin conditions by utilizing the body’s own tools,” continues Papantoniou. “This would potentially reduce the production of drug-resistant organisms and the unwanted side effects of chronic steroid use.”
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