Researchers said on Sunday they may have discovered what causes psoriasis, a common and irritating skin ailment, and said their findings may open the way to an effective treatment. They found that it takes a combination of a protein called STAT3 and an active immune system to cause psoriasis, which experts estimate affects as much as 2 percent of the population. Their finding suggests that psoriasis may start with an over-enthusiastic attempt by the body to heal wounds. And the researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center made a skin cream that blocked the process that leads to psoriasis in mice.
