Periostin Appears Promising Target for Atopic Dermatitis Therapy

Periostin, a downstream molecule of type 2 inflammation, links type 2 inflammation with NF-κB-related inflammation in atopic dermatitis, suggests a study published in Cell Reports.  

Researchers came to the finding through a study involving a mouse model of atopic dermatitis called “FADS.” They were interested in the coexistence of type 2 inflammation, which is widely accepted as dominant in allergic skin inflammation, with non-type 2 inflammation. They also investigated how type 2 inflammation causes itching.

“In FADS mice, either genetic disruption or pharmacological inhibition of periostin…inhibits NF-κB activation in keratinocytes, leading to downregulating eczema, epidermal hyperplasia, and infiltration of neutrophils, without regulating the enhanced type 2 inflammation,” reported corresponding author Satoshi Nunomura, PhD, of the Saga Medical School Division of Medical Biochemistry in Japan, and coauthors.

Researchers found that periostin caused the spontaneous firing of dorsal horn neurons related to itching. When they inhibited periostin in the mice, itching and scratching eased.

“Taken together, periostin links NF-κB-mediated inflammation with type 2 inflammation and promotes itching in allergic skin inflammation, suggesting that periostin is a promising therapeutic target for atopic dermatitis,” the research team concluded.

Reference:
Nunomura S, Uta D, Kitajima I, et al. Periostin activates distinct modules of inflammation and itching downstream of the type 2 inflammation pathway. Cell Rep. 2023;42(1):111933. doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111933