Animal models of psoriasis for novel drug discovery: a literature update

Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory skin disorder with a multifactorial pathogenesis involving keratinocyte proliferation, dysregulated immune responses, and vascular remodeling. The development of effective therapeutics mainly relies on preclinical models that can reproduce disease-relevant mechanisms.

This review outlines current in vivo psoriasis models, including spontaneous mutation models, transgenic and knockout mice, xenotransplantation systems, and cytokine-induced and imiquimod-induced models. Each model is evaluated for its ability to replicate key histological and immunological features of human psoriasis, such as acanthosis, immune cell infiltration, and cytokine network activation. The utility of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing in generating targeted models is also discussed, thus highlighting its potential use for mechanistic studies. Finally, this review also emphasizes the limitations in translational applicability and the need for multimodel validation strategies regarding psoriasis. This article was based on a comprehensive literature search using PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases, covering publications from January 2015 to March 2025.

Despite extensive model development, no single system fully mimics human psoriatic disease. The imiquimod-induced model remains widely used due to its practicality, although it better reflects acute inflammation compared with chronic pathology. The combination of complementary models and the incorporation of human-derived tissues or immune components may improve translational relevance. Advances in genome editing and humanized systems are likely to shape the future of psoriasis research and therapeutic discovery.