Old King coal - molecular mechanisms underlying an ancient treatment for atopic eczema.
Traditional remedies for common disorders have been known for centuries, but insight into their mechanism of action is often limited. In this issue of the JCI, Joost Schalkwijk's research group at the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre in The Netherlands advances our understanding of why topical coal tar is an effective treatment for atopic dermatitis (AD), both rationalizing the use of this traditional medicine, and providing the scientific basis for new therapeutic approaches.
Centre for Dermatology and Genetic Medicine, Division of Molecular Medicine, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, United Kingdom. w.h.i.mclean@dundee.ac.uk
W H Irwin
WH
McLean
Alan D
AD
Irvine
D003033:Coal Tar / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*
D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon; D003033:Coal Tar