Progress in our understanding of the biology of psoriasis

This review describes the progress made in our understanding of the basic biology of psoriasis and how newer, safer clinical approaches to control the disease may result from these developments. It reveals how epidermal hyperproliferation can be permanently induced using transgenic mouse models, how the discovery of methods to generate humanized mouse monoclonal antibodies may be used to control the synthesis of autocrine and paracrine growth factors, how programmed cell death (apoptosis) is regulated in the epidermis, and how the abnormal synthesis of superantigens, cytokines, and chemokines can result in immune dysfunction and generate increased angiogenesis, inflammation, and epidermal hyperproliferation.