NEA Research Grant Produces Results

NEA Researchers Dr. Anna De Benedetto and Dr. Lisa A. Beck led a group of scientists in studying the function of one of the two main skin barriers, the tight junction (TJ) to determine the role of claudin-1, a protein component of TJ, in Atopic Dermatitis. The physicians analyzed skin samples from patients with AD, patients with psoriasis, and non-atopic patients with healthy skin. They found that the TJ protein claudin-1 was significantly reduced in AD patients, compared to those with psoriasis and normal skin. Additionally, they found evidence that reductions in claudin-1 affect the barrier functions of skin cells in vitro and may affect the character of immune response to environmental triggers. Their findings were recently published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the official journal of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.

The National Eczema Association thanks the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology for giving NEA constituents access to this important article.

Read the article which is posted online as an article-in-press > > >