Small Molecules in the Treatment of Psoriasis

Preclinical Research Psoriasis is an inflammatory systemic skin disease that affects various parts of the body requiring long-term management due to its chronic nature. Available treatment options include topical, systemic or biological therapies, which have long-term limitations associated to toxicity, tolerability and risk for adverse effects requiring its intermittent use and close monitoring. Small molecules modulate proinflammatory cytokines, selectively inhibit signaling pathways and showing potential to treat inflammatory diseases in patients not responding to conventional treatments. Presently, small molecules available are phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors or Janus kinase inhibitors. Other small molecules under development for psoriasis include fumaric acid esters, amygdalin analogs, protein kinase C inhibitors, mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitors, spleen protein kinase inhibitors, other tyrosine kinase inhibitors, sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor agonists, and A3 adenosine receptor agonists. These new treatment options represent important advances in the development of specific drugs to respond to the goals of treatment and improve patient quality of life.