Press Release No. 25
Berlin
Ten new Genetic Risk Loci for Eczema Discovered
Researchers in Europe, Australia, Asia, and America have now discovered ten new risk loci for the chronic inflammatory skin disease eczema. Among the new candidate genes for eczema, the researchers came upon genes that are important for the innate immune system and for the development and function of T-cells which play an important role in specific immune responses. This emphasizes the importance of the immune system in the onset and progression of eczema. With the newly identified risk regions, a total of 31 risk regions for eczema are now known (Nature Genetics, doi:10.1038/ng3424)⃰ .