title: Mycophenolic acid in dermatology a century after its discovery.
abstract: Mycophenolic acid was first discovered in 1913 and first used clinically in the 1970s as an immunosuppressant to prevent organ transplantation rejection. It was later used in the treatment of psoriasis. However due to its side-effect profile and fears over its carcinogenic potential it was abandoned. From the late 1990s a prodrug, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), was developed and more recently, enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium (EC-MPS), both of which have gained increasing use in the field of dermatology for a variety of skin conditions. This review discusses the pharmacology, mechanisms of action, side-effects and current clinical applications in dermatology of MMF and EC-MPS.
authors.affiliation: Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Sarah J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Strathie Page
authors.forename: Clare P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Tait
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid
keywords: dermatology; dermatomyositis; lichen planopilaris; lichen planus; mycophenolate mofetil; mycophenolate mofetil review; mycophenolic acid; pemphigoid; pemphigus; psoriasis