Niosomal Curcumin Suppresses IL17/IL23 Immunopathogenic Axis in Skin Lesions of Psoriatic Patients: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Psoriasis (PS) is characterized by hyperplasia of epidermis and infiltration of immune cells in the dermis. A negligible susceptibility of hypodermic permeation for local anti-inflammatory remedies is one of the major causes of medication failures. Although curcumin (CUR) has indicated effectiveness in treatment of inflammation, its successful permeation through the stratum corneum is yet a challenging issue. Therefore, niosome (NIO) nanoparticles were used as curcumin carriers to enhance its delivery and anti-inflammatory effects. Curcumin-niosome (CUR-NIO) formulations were constructed by the thin-film-hydration (TFH) technique and were added to hyaluronic acid and Marine-collagen gel-based formulation. Five mild-to-moderate PS patients (18-60 years) with PASI scores < 30 with symmetrical and similar lesions were included in the study. The prepared formulation (CUR 15 µM) was topically administered for 4 weeks on the skin lesions, in comparison to the placebo. Clinical skin manifestations were monitored and skin punches were obtained for further gene expression analyses. There was a significant reduction in redness, scaling, and an apparent improvement in CUR-NIO-treated group in comparison to the placebo-treated counterpart. The gene expression analyses resulted in significantly downregulation of IL17, IL23, IL22, and TNFα, S100A7, S100A12, and Ki67 in CUR-NIO-treated lesions. Consequently, CUR-NIO could provide therapeutic approaches for the patients with mild-to-moderate PS by suppressing the IL17/IL23 immunopathogenic axis.

IL-33/ST2 axis in autoimmune disease

Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is a member of the IL-1 family and plays an ambivalent role in autoimmune diseases. IL-33 signals via the ST2 receptor and drives cytokine production in mast cells, basophils, eosinophils, NK cells, and T lymphocyte cells. The vital role of IL-33 as an active component gives rise to aberrant local and systemic damage which has been demonstrated in numerous inflammatory disorders and immune-mediated pathological conditions including multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), psoriasis, Sjogren's syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), etc. IL-33/ST2 axis can up-regulate pro-inflammatory cytokine release in autoimmune disease, however, in some metabolic diseases like diabetes mellitus type 1 IL-33 can be considered an anti-inflammatory cytokine. The purpose of this review is to discuss selected studies on IL-33/ST2 axis in autoimmune diseases and its potential role as a pathogenic or protective cytokine.

The impact of lymphoid memory cells in different ages of COVID-19 patients

Coronaviruses are highly pathogenic and transmissible viruses. The SARS-CoV-2 virus that emerged in December 2019 is increasingly recognized as a serious, worldwide public health concern. Respiratory infections and the hyper-inflammatory response induced by SARS-CoV-2 play a key role in disease severity and death in infected COVID-19 patients. However, much uncertainty still exists about the pathogenesis and various effects of COVID-19 on immune system. It seems that memory T cells can reduce the severity of COVID-19 infection by inducing a protective immune response. Memory T cells along with protective antibodies are the main defenses and also protective barrier against recurrent COVID-19 infection. The role of Memory T cells varies in different ages and the severity of COVID-19 infection varies between children, adults and the elderly. Furthermore, the aim of this review is to evaluate the role of memory cells in mild, moderate and severe infected COVID-19 patients with different ages.