Role of fat metabolism in psoriasis identified
- John Evans
- 12 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Researchers have discovered a previously unknown molecular mechanism that contributes to psoriasis development, a discovery that represents a potential biomarker and treatment target.
The study, published in Cell Death & Differentiation, shows that the fatty acid-binding protein FABP5 drives ferroptosis, a particular form of cell death, and amplifies inflammatory processes in the skin. Blocking this protein significantly improved the skin changes typically associated with psoriasis.
Psoriasis has been associated with overactivity of the immune system. With this research, a scientific team led by Erwin Wagner, PhD (Department of Dermatology and Department of Laboratory Medicine, MedUni Vienna) and Kazuhiko Matsuoka, PhD (Center for Cancer Research, MedUni Vienna) with first author Kamil Mieczkowski, MSc (Department of Laboratory Medicine) has shown for the first time that changes in the fat metabolism of skin cells also contribute significantly to the development and progression of inflammation in this disease.
Analyses show that skin samples from psoriasis patients and a corresponding animal model contain significantly elevated levels of the fatty acid-binding protein FABP5. At the same time, a protective enzyme (GPX4) is detectable at reduced levels. According to the researchers, this imbalance triggers an inflammatory cascade through ferroptosis typical of the clinical picture of psoriasis. At the same time, the team found that skin inflammation can be significantly reduced by pharmacological blockade of FABP5 and ferroptosis.
“Our results show that psoriasis is caused not only by a misdirected immune response, but also by changes in the fat metabolism of skin cells,” said Dr. Wagner in a press release. “FABP5 could therefore serve as a biomarker in the future for developing new, targeted therapies,” Dr. Matsuoka adds. This could be particularly beneficial for patients who do not respond well to existing immunomodulatory approaches, such as biologics.
The researchers also emphasize that FABP5 may be important not only for psoriasis but also for other inflammatory diseases, such as atopic dermatitis. They say that since psoriasis is often associated with metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, the study results also provide clues to possible common causes of these diseases. Further studies are needed to deepen and confirm the newly gained insights into the relationship between fat metabolism and inflammatory processes.