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Updated: Apr 16, 2026

Isolation and Th17 Differentiation of Naïve CD4 T Lymphocytes
Published on: September 26, 2013
Interleukin-17 antagonists in the treatment of psoriasis
Shivani Felicia Chandrakumar1, Jensen Yeung2
1Department of Dermatology and Skin Care, Women's College Hospital, and Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON schandrakumar@qmed.ca.
Background:
Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory skin disorder of unknown etiology. Interleukin (IL)-17a, a key product of the recently identified Th17 cell subset, has been found to play a critical role in the immunopathogenesis of psoriasis. IL-17 antagonists are a new class of biological agent currently in development for psoriasis that selectively inhibit IL-17a activity.
Objective:
This review aims to summarize the current efficacy data from phase II randomized controlled trials of the IL-17 antagonists brodalumab, ixekizumab, and secukinumab for the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis.
Conclusion:
Patients treated with IL-17 antagonists achieved marked reduction in psoriasis disease severity as demonstrated by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) 75 response rates. A sizable proportion of patients treated with brodalumab and ixekizumab achieved unprecedented clinical clearance of their psoriasis (PASI > 90). These encouraging results demonstrate the efficacy of these agents and validate the pro-inflammatory role of IL-17 in the pathophysiology of psoriasis.
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