Dermatitis atópica

Some promising areas of research include:

• Genetics: Although atopic dermatitis runs in families, the role of genetics remains unclear. It does appear that more than one gene is involved in the disease. Scientists have also found that the disease is associated with mutations in a certain gene that normally helps form a protective skin barrier.
• Skin development and maintenance: Discoveries about how the body creates and maintains skin will help us understand why the skin barrier breaks down. Researchers are exploring medicines that can help repair the skin barrier, and whether moisturizers applied in infancy (before symptoms appear) could prevent flares in babies at high risk for developing atopic dermatitis.
• Understanding itch: Researchers are studying how the nervous system and the immune system communicate to cause the inflammation, itch, and pain seen in atopic dermatitis.
• Immune system imbalance: Researchers are exploring factors that play a role in the immune response, causing inflammation like that seen in atopic dermatitis. Also, investigators are studying small organisms that normally live on the skin, to see how they play a role in keeping skin healthy or contribute to the disease.