Value Proposition:JHU scientists have developed an inducible transgenic model in which IL-13 can be expressed in the skin to define the resulting dermal and systemic phenotypes and mechanisms involved. The mice display increased susceptibilty to allergen stimulation in the airways even though the original pathology is in the skin.
- Published as: Zheng T, Oh MH, Oh SY, Schroeder JT, Glick AB, Zhu Z. 2009. Transgenic expression of interleukin-13 in the skin induces a pruritic dermatitis and skin remodeling. J Invest Dermatol. 129(3):742-51.
Technical Details:Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a pruritic, chronic inflammatory skin disease that affects 15–20% of children and 1–3% of adults. The prevalence of AD has been steadily increasing during the past three decades (Leung et al., 2004). There is an unmet medical need to determine the causes of AD in order to develop effective early diagnostics and therapies. Specific immune responses are believed to contribute to the pathogenesis of AD, particularly in the early stage. Research suggests that inflammatory signaling cytokines have a key role. A cytokine known as Interleukin-13 (IL-13) has effects in immune-cell mediated inflammation that are key features in both asthma and AD. These studies have established a close relationship between IL-13 and AD, but the direct effects of IL-13 have not been shown. JHU inventors suggest that that IL-13 alone is sufficient to initiate inflammatory responses in the skin that mimic AD.
Looking for Partners:These mice can be used to model the chronic patterns of inflammatory diseases, such as the waxing and waning seen in atopic dermatitis. This model can also be used to study skin remodeling including skin fibrosis and vascular remodeling. These mice can be used to study the molecular and cellular mechanisms in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis and to test or screen therapeutic agents for the treatment of atopic dermatitis.
