Ten-Year Study Leads Researchers To Psoriasis Genes

After a decade of searching, researchers have identified three genes linked to psoriasis, a potentially debilitating and disfiguring skin condition characterized by burning or itching patches of raised red skin. The project's leader, Anne Bowcock, Ph.D., professor of genetics, of medicine and of pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, says the results could help scientists understand the molecular details of what happens in psoriasis and improve ways to treat the condition. The study will be published online by Nature Genetics on Nov. 9.