Niosomal Curcumin Suppresses IL17/IL23 Immunopathogenic Axis in Skin Lesions of Psoriatic Patients: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

• Published in: Life (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2023-04, Vol.13 (5), p.1076
• Main Authors: Kolahdooz, Hanieh, Khori, Vahid, Erfani-Moghadam, Vahid, Livani, Fatemeh, Mohammadi, Saeed, Memarian, Ali
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Care and treatment; Collagen; Curcumin; Dermis; Disease; Drug delivery systems; Drugs; Epidermis; Gene expression; Health aspects; Hyaluronic acid; Hydration; Hyperplasia; IL17; IL22; IL23; Immune system; Inflammation; Interleukin 17; Interleukin 22; Interleukin 23; Interleukins; Ki67; Lesions; Nanoparticles; Neutrophils; niosome; Pathogenesis; Patients; Peptides; Permeation; Placebos; Psoriasis; Skin; Skin diseases; Skin lesions; Steroids; Stratum corneum; Testing; Thin films; Turmeric; Vehicles
• ISSN: 2075-1729; 2075-1729
• DOI: 10.3390/life13051076

Psoriasis (PS) is characterized by hyperplasia of epidermis and infiltration of immune cells in the dermis. A negligible susceptibility of hypodermic permeation for local anti-inflammatory remedies is one of the major causes of medication failures. Although curcumin (CUR) has indicated effectiveness in treatment of inflammation, its successful permeation through the stratum corneum is yet a challenging issue. Therefore, niosome (NIO) nanoparticles were used as curcumin carriers to enhance its delivery and anti-inflammatory effects. Curcumin-niosome (CUR-NIO) formulations were constructed by the thin-film-hydration (TFH) technique and were added to hyaluronic acid and Marine-collagen gel-based formulation. Five mild-to-moderate PS patients (18-60 years) with PASI scores < 30 with symmetrical and similar lesions were included in the study. The prepared formulation (CUR 15 µM) was topically administered for 4 weeks on the skin lesions, in comparison to the placebo. Clinical skin manifestations were monitored and skin punches were obtained for further gene expression analyses. There was a significant reduction in redness, scaling, and an apparent improvement in CUR-NIO-treated group in comparison to the placebo-treated counterpart. The gene expression analyses resulted in significantly downregulation of IL17, IL23, IL22, and TNFα, S100A7, S100A12, and Ki67 in CUR-NIO-treated lesions. Consequently, CUR-NIO could provide therapeutic approaches for the patients with mild-to-moderate PS by suppressing the IL17/IL23 immunopathogenic axis.