IL-6 a Promising Target in Psoriatic Arthritis

Medpage Today—April 12, 2016

Nancy Walsh, a senior staff writer for Medpage Today, writes about a recent study that indicates that interleukin (IL)-6 is an effective treatment when handling joint symptoms, and less so for skin symptoms, in individuals living with psoriatic arthritis. According to the article, "A possible explanation for the limited effect on skin manifestations is that the inflammatory effects of IL-6 are more prominent in the joint, suggesting that there may be different mechanisms at work in the cutaneous and articular aspects of the disease."

Theodore R. Fields, MD, FACP, a rheumatologist at Hospital for Special Surgery comments on the study's findings: "We don't have prior evidence of effectiveness of IL-6 blockade in psoriatic arthritis, so this could reflect another possible mechanism for us to exploit in the management of psoriatic arthritis." Dr. Fields also notes that, "Further data on optimal dosing are needed."

To read more about the study, visit MedpageToday.com.