Research group Mona Ståhle
Psoriasis - epidemiology, genetics and biology
Our research is part of the Karolinska Psoriasis Center which is the clinical base for treatment of psoriasis patients who need systemic treatments to control their disease. A clinical trial unit undertaking Phase II and III trials is affiliated. The laboratory where the experimental preclinical research is based is located at CMM in close vicinity to the clinical facilities. The psoriasis team includes in addition to clinicians, senior scientists, post-docs , graduate students and nurses. Several team members share their time between the laboratory and the clinic which enables a truly translational approach.
Psoriasis is a common and complex inflammatory skin disease with significant co-morbidity. The genetic basis for psoriasis is strong. Clinical heterogeneity suggests that different subtypes have distinct genetic background and respond differently to treatment. In 2000 we started a cohort of adult psoriasis patients recruited at the onset of disease, Stockholm Psoriasis Cohort (SPC). Today SPC includes close to 800 cases with an equal number of matched controls. In this project we have described clinical characteristics and triggering factors at disease onset and co-morbidities with focus on the metabolic profile and cardiovascular overrisk associated with psoriasis. The SPC cohort represents a cross-section of all phenotypes with the majority of cases being mild. A 10 year follow up will commence in 2011 which will provide valuable information on the natural disease course and development. To complement the SPC, we also study patients with severe psoriasis who receive systemic treatment and we have established a biobank from these patients with the aim to identify biomarkers for treatment response and genotype/phenotype profiles. Childhood psoriasis representing a distinct subphenotype is another interest. In addition to genetic susceptibility factors, we study inflammatory pathways during different disease phases and the putative role of microRNAs and their targets which are diffentially expressed in psoriasis.