A fluorescence microscope image shows the skin of a healthy mouse (left) and skin from a mouse with a poison ivy rash (right). Interleukin-33, shown in green stain, is a protein that acts directly on the nerves, telling the brain the skin is extremely itchy. Credit: Sven-Eric Jordt/Duke Health
Scientists have developed a strategy to stop the uncontrollable itch caused by urushiol, the oily sap common to poison ivy, poison sumac, poison oak and even mango trees. By blocking an immune system protein in the skin with an antibody, they could halt the processes that tell the brain the skin is itchy. They hope their model could lead to potential treatments for people who are allergic to poison ivy – an estimated 80% of the population.
For most people, contact with poisonous plants is painful but not life-threatening. Still, there are significant health care costs associated with more than 10 million people in the U.S. affected each year. “Poison ivy rash is the most common allergic reaction in the U.S., and studies have shown that higher levels of CO2 in the atmosphere are creating a proliferation of poison ivy throughout the U.S. – even in places where it wasn’t growing before,” Jordt said.
Some symptoms of the blistering rash can be alleviated with antihistamines and steroids. But the most severe itching doesn’t go away with antihistamines, because it arises from a different source. Jordt et al determined the itch is triggered by interleukin 33 (IL-33). All people have IL-33 in their skin, but the protein is elevated in people who have eczema and psoriasis. The protein is known for inducing inflammation, but these new experiments show the protein also acts directly on the nerve fibers in the skin, exciting them and telling the brain that the skin is severely itchy.
They used an antibody to block IL-33 and found that it not only reduced inflammation, but also cut down scratching in mice with poison ivy rashes. An antibody that counteracts human IL-33 is currently being evaluated in humans through a Phase 1 clinical trial to determine its safety and potential side effects. In an additional approach tested in the mouse experiments, they also found they could also alleviate itch by blocking a receptor for IL-33, ST2.
Jordt said. “So our next step will be to look at human skin to see if we see the same activity and the same pathways. We will also look at anti-inflammatory drugs that are already approved to see if they have the potential to alleviate itch.” http://www.newswise.com/articles/mouse-study-shows-antibody-can-soothe-raging-nerve-driven-poison-ivy-itch
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