Emerging drugs for  atopic dermatitis.
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most common chronic inflammatory skin disease, affecting 10-20% of children and 2% of adults worldwide. Preventive treatment of AD consists of daily skin hydration and emollient therapy; but the majority of patients still require symptomatic treatment with topical corticosteroids and/or topical calcineurin inhibitors, both of which may be associated with potential long-term side effects. With increasing evidence supporting the role of skin barrier defects in the pathogenesis of AD, there is also a parallel increase in medications that claim to assist barrier repair. The current review discusses some exciting results with these medications, as well as the challenges that lie ahead of them. While barrier repair treatments offer some promise, there continues to be a need for safer anti-inflammatory medications. Some of these medications under investigation are phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitors, urocanic acid oxidation products and IL-4/IL-13 receptor blockers. The review also discusses anti-staphylococcal treatments including nanocrystalline silver cream, silver and antimicrobial-coated fabrics, and anti-itch treatments including mu-opiod receptor antagonists, chymase inhibitors and cannabinoid receptor agonists. These medications may become an integral part of AD therapy.
Ong
Peck Y
PY
Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Los Angeles, California 90027, USA. pyong@chla.usc.edu
D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D065095:Calcineurin Inhibitors; D002648:Child; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003879:Dermatologic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D004643:Emollients / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D065095:Calcineurin Inhibitors; D003879:Dermatologic Agents; D004643:Emollients; D005938:Glucocorticoids