Curing Psoriasis

Abstract

As medicine advances, cures are being found for diseases that were previously considered incurable, as is the case for some types of cancer. Traditionally, the term cure is reserved for resolution of disease, both at a clinical and a molecular level, which continues after cessation of treatment. Biologic therapies have revolutionized the definition of remission in severe psoriasis, with some patients achieving long-lasting disease suppression, but the disease nearly always relapses on withdrawal of the drug. Our improved understanding of the pathomechanisms of psoriasis, coupled with anecdotal reports of long-term clearance of the disease after cell-based therapies, leads us to the hypothesis that psoriasis is curable. We propose that cure of psoriasis can be achieved by restoring immune homeostasis through a combinatorial, personalized medicine approach encompassing early intervention to include biologics, advanced therapeutics, and lifestyle modification.