Eczema may be triggered by deficiency in the skin barrier

Scientists from Newcastle University and Stiefel have discovered that a protein in the skin barrier could be key to triggering eczema.

The protein, called filaggrin, is said to impact other proteins and pathways in the skin, leading the development of eczema.

Atopic eczema affects up to 10% of adults and 20% of children in the UK and often leads to severe itching, which can have a significant effect on wellbeing and sleep.

The above-mentioned research is said to have built on an important discovery in Dundee, which indicated that a lack of filaggrin in the skin could cause a skin condition called ichthyosis vulgaris, which is ‘strongly linked to the development of atopic eczema, as well as other allergic diseases such as hayfever and asthma’.

Access the study here

Source

Image