Creation of psoriatic plaques: the ultimate tumor suppressor pathway. A new model for an ancient T‐cell‐mediated skin disease. Viewpoint

BJ Nickoloff - Journal of cutaneous pathology, 2001 - Wiley Online Library
BJ Nickoloff
Journal of cutaneous pathology, 2001Wiley Online Library
From an oncological and immunological perspective, the T‐cell‐mediated induction of
psoriatic plaques should be prone to malignant transformation as the phenotype of psoriatic
plaques includes: chronic inflammation, epidermal hyperplasia, prolonged survival and
elevated telomerase levels in lesional keratinocytes, as well as angiogenesis, exposure to
carcinogens and immunosuppressants. However, conversion of a psoriatic plaque to
squamous cell carcinoma is exceedingly rare. This paper explores the possible molecular …
From an oncological and immunological perspective, the T‐cell‐mediated induction of psoriatic plaques should be prone to malignant transformation as the phenotype of psoriatic plaques includes: chronic inflammation, epidermal hyperplasia, prolonged survival and elevated telomerase levels in lesional keratinocytes, as well as angiogenesis, exposure to carcinogens and immunosuppressants. However, conversion of a psoriatic plaque to squamous cell carcinoma is exceedingly rare. This paper explores the possible molecular mechanism for the tumor suppressor pathway in psoriatic lesions, with an emphasis on a putative senescence‐switch involving p16.
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