A jab could be the key to treating bacteria-driven flare-ups of the common condition that causes the skin to become itchy, dry and cracked, say Irish scientists
Eczema in children could be treated within years by a “tailored” vaccine, say scientists.
Researchers at Trinity College Dublin believe the jab may be key to treating bacteria-driven flare-ups of the common condition that causes the skin to become itchy, dry and cracked. The Trinity team has taken several leaps forward in understanding how the immune response works in cases of eczema driven by the troublesome Staphylococcus aureus bacterium.
They say they have now identified new cellular targets for a vaccine. Eczema – also known as atopic dermatitis – affects up to one in four children. Common symptoms include itchy, dry skin, and – when bacteria are involved – weeping wounds that can progress to more severe infections.
Sometimes life-threatening systemic infections such as septicaemia may arise. Study lead author Dr Julianne Clowry, a consultant dermatologist and Visiting Research Fellow at Trinity, said: “There is a real need for new options to treat and prevent infected flares of eczema in children.
“Current strategies are limited in their success and – even when they do provide relief – the effects may be short-term as symptoms often return. Although antibiotics are needed in some cases, scientists are trying hard to deliver alternative options due to the growing problems posed by antimicrobial resistance.
“In combination, these factors make a tailored vaccine a very attractive target as it could limit the severity of eczema, lead to better longer-lasting outcomes, and reduce the need for antibiotics – all while also reducing the risk of complications and potentially the development of other atopic diseases, such as hayfever and asthma.
The Trinity team uncovered important “immune signatures” in children with infected flares of eczema. Pinpointing the signatures provided them with specific new targets, which they say is helpful from a theoretical vaccine design perspective. Working with 93 children, from babies up to the age of 16, the team compared immune responses between three groups of patients: eczema and a confirmed S. aureus skin infection, eczema but no S. aureus skin infection, and a healthy group of volunteers.
The key discovery was that the proportions of certain immune cells – known as “T cells” – as well as other biomarkers, varied “considerably” in the different groups. The research team said that the main result highlights that the immune response was impacted in those with infected flares of eczema – with the suppression of some of the important T cells that drive an effective immune response.
They say their findings, published in the journal JCI Insight, provide an early blueprint in developing future therapies which could provide targeted effective relief from recurrent bouts of eczema. Dr Alan Irvine, Professor of Dermatology at Trinity, said: “While an interaction between the Staphylococcus aureus bug and eczema has been known for many decades, novel scientific approaches are continuing to make key discoveries about the complex relationship between these bacteria and human responses to it.
“Our work outlines new discoveries about how children with eczema respond immunologically to infection with this common bacterium.” Study senior author Trinity Immunology Professor Rachel McLoughlin said: “This work has identified an overall pattern of immune suppression associated with infected flares of eczema, which results in the suppression of specific T cells that are vital to help initiate an effective immune response.
“Further work is now required to broaden the scope of these results, by expanding to a larger number of people. This will help confirm if the patterns identified are consistent among different age groups, and in sub-groups with greater ethnic diversity.” She added: “We believe that a more comprehensive understanding of the immune response to this bacteria S. aureus in eczema, has significant potential to revolutionise treatment approaches and make a major translational impact in the management of eczema.”
