In this 12-week phase 2 trial, a humanized anti–interleukin-17 monoclonal antibody was effective for chronic plaque psoriasis. Larger studies of longer duration are necessary to assess the safety and efficacy of long-term treatment.

In this 12-week, phase 2 trial, an anti–interleukin-17–receptor antibody was effective in treating moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Adverse events included neutropenia. Larger trials of longer duration are needed to assess the risk of infections.

In this 52-week trial, briakinumab was more effective than methotrexate in treating patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Briakinumab may be associated with more serious infections and with cancers.

A study of families from southern Tunisia affected by general pustular psoriasis uncovered the genetic cause of their disease: a mutation affecting the function of the interleukin-36–receptor antagonist.

The skin infiltrates of atopic eczema consist predominantly of type 2 helper T cells, whereas those of psoriasis are mainly types 1 and 17. The two diseases are elicited by different types of antigens and are largely mutually exclusive, since one type of infiltrate antagonizes the other.

In this 12-week randomized trial comparing two biologic agents known to be effective for psoriasis, ustekinumab (an interleukin-12 and interleukin-23 blocker) was more effective than etanercept (an inhibitor of tumor necrosis factor α). Adverse events associated with the two treatments were similar, but the trial was not large enough and follow-up was not long enough to assess uncommon adverse events.

In this randomized trial of 211 children and adolescents with moderate-to-severe psoriasis, response rates at 12 weeks were higher among patients treated with etanercept than among those receiving placebo (57% vs. 11%, P<0.001). Response was maintained during 24 weeks of open-label treatment. Three serious infections occurred in patients treated with etanercept.

Type 1 cytokines are overexpressed in psoriatic plaques. This trial evaluated a monoclonal antibody against interleukin-12 and interleukin-23 in patients with psoriasis. Response rates at 12 weeks were significantly higher in patients treated with interleukin-12/23 monoclonal antibody than in those treated with placebo. Four percent of patients who received interleukin-12/23 monoclonal antibody and 1% of those who received placebo had serious adverse events. Larger studies of longer duration are needed to assess the effectiveness and safety of interleukin-12/23 monoclonal antibody for psoriasis.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is believed to have a role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. In this 24-week randomized trial involving patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, treatment with etanercept, a TNF antagonist, resulted in significant improvement in the psoriasis area-and-severity index. Rates of adverse events were similar in the etanercept and placebo groups.