Sydney
Researchers from Australia and Germany have cured patients suffering from toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), a life-threatening skin disease. This international collaboration, including teams from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) in Melbourne and the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Germany, has developed the first-ever cure for the disease, said in a news release on Monday.
TEN, also known as Lyell’s syndrome, is a rare condition that causes severe blistering and skin detachment. It is triggered by adverse reactions to common medications and has a mortality rate of around 30%. The disease can lead to complications like dehydration, sepsis, pneumonia, and organ failure.
The breakthrough study identified a hyperactivation of the JAK-STAT signaling pathway, which is crucial in processes such as immunity and cell death. By using JAK inhibitors, a class of drugs already used for inflammatory diseases, researchers were able to treat and cure patients with TEN.
Holly Anderton, a researcher from WEHI, expressed pride in the success of the collaboration, noting that all seven patients treated in the study showed rapid improvement and full recovery. The team is now hopeful that these findings will lead to clinical trials for the approval of JAK inhibitors as a cure for TEN.
