Current developments and perspectives in psoriasis

The research of hardly any other disease has produced such fundamentally new knowledge about immunological regulations and at the same time such a rapid development of innovative therapies as the study of psoriasis. In this brief review, we outline the main features of current psoriasis research with a special focus on pathophysiological processes and the milestones in the approval of various biologics and small molecule pharmaceuticals. Not least thanks to psoriasis research, we are gaining a better understanding of the interaction between the components of the innate and adaptive immune systems. New therapeutics intervene at crucial points in regulatory networks. Based on the current state of knowledge, we outline what we consider to be important future research directions as well as therapeutic and clinical developments in the field of psoriasis. These range from research into genetic, epigenetic, cellular and immunological mechanisms, through the investigation of specific clinical forms of psoriasis and individual systemic effects of the disease and their treatment, to the inclusion of big data and artificial intelligence. The goals are a holistic understanding of psoriasis from the molecular to the organismic and social level and, based on this, individualized prevention and treatment strategies. Despite impressive advances, psoriasis research, both small and large, needs to evolve to better serve the needs of practitioners and patients.