Title:Treatment Strategies Against Psoriasis: Principle, Perspectives and Practices
Volume: 17
Issue: 1
Author(s): Arya Kadukkattil Ramanunny, Sheetu Wadhwa, Sachin Kumar Singh*, Deep Shikha Sharma, Rubiya Khursheed and Ankit Awasthi
Affiliation:
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara - 144411, Punjab,India
Keywords:
Psoriasis, novel drug delivery systems, phototherapy, alternative systems, marine sources, homeopathy.
Abstract: Background: Psoriasis is a genetically predisposed autoimmune disease mediated by cytokines
released by the activated immune cells. It manifests inflammatory, scaly red or white silvery flaky
skin which may be a fluid-filled lesion with soreness and itchiness. The prevalence rate of psoriasis is
increasing day by day. Despite having such a high prevalence rate, the treatment of psoriasis is still
limited. Hence, there is a need to rethink the various treatment strategies available in the allopathic as
well as in the alternative systems of medicine.
Methods: Various bibliographic databases of previously published peer-reviewed research papers were
explored and systematic data culminated in terms of various treatment strategies used for the management
of psoriasis. The prime focus is given towards modern as well as alternative systems of medicine
such as phototherapy, a combination of phototherapy with pharmacotherapy such as Ayurveda, Yoga
and naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy to treat psoriasis.
Results: A comprehensive review of 161 papers, including both research and review articles, was carried
out to make the article readily understandable. The pathogenesis including inflammatory mediators
and type of psoriasis is discussed before the treatment strategies to understand the pathophysiology of
the disease. The uniqueness, procedure, advantages, and limitations of conventional, advanced, and
traditional systems of medicine to treat psoriasis are discussed in detail. Emphasis has also been given
towards marine sources such as fish oil, marine sponges, and algae.
Conclusion: Although there are many modern and alternative treatment strategies available to treat
psoriasis, none of them have been proven to provide complete relief to patients. Moreover, they are
associated with certain side effects. In order to overcome them, novel drug delivery systems have been
utilized and found effective; however, their stability and safety become the major impediments towards
their successful positioning. Traditional and alternative treatment strategies have found to be safe and
effective but their use is localized to certain areas. In a nutshell, to achieve successful treatment of psoriasis,
there is a need to focus on the development of stable and non-toxic novel drug delivery systems
or the promotion of traditional systems to treat psoriasis.
