Big data analysis sheds light on psoriasis's genetic code
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A research team from South Korea has revealed the specific mechanisms behind the onset of psoriasis by combining large-scale genomic data from more than 1.1 million people with advanced single-cell analysis technology. The team also identified a number of genes that are potential targets for new treatments.
The team was led by professor Hong-Hee Won of the Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences and Technology at Sungkyunkwan University and Samsung Medical Center, with researcher Hyeonbin Jo as first author of the paper published in Nature Communications.
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting about 2% of the world's population and commonly characterized by red, scaly patches on the skin. Far from being a mere surface-level skin condition, psoriasis is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the body's own tissue. It is also known to raise the risk of systemic conditions such as arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, obesity and diabetes.
While genetic and cellular-level studies of psoriasis have largely advanced independently, few studies have combined large-scale genomic data with the behavior of individual cells to establish a concrete disease pathway.
To address this gap, the research team conducted an integrated meta-analysis of genomic data from more than 1.1 million people and identified 125 genetic susceptibility loci closely linked to the onset of psoriasis. Of these, 17 are new loci that had not previously been reported in genetic studies. The team then applied single-cell transcriptomic analysis to examine gene activity at single-cell resolution in skin samples from healthy individuals and psoriasis patients. Through this approach, they identified the specific cell populations directly involved in the onset of the disease.
The analysis revealed complex interactions among several key cell types. Myeloid cells and T cells from the immune system interact with keratinocytes on the skin's surface and vascular endothelial cells in blood vessels. These cells orchestrate a signaling cascade that might drive excessive inflammation. By mapping the multidimensional interactions of these cells across different skin layers, the team pinpointed 50 promising therapeutic target genes for psoriasis through rigorous screening.
"This research combines large-scale genomic data with precise cellular transcriptomic analysis to clearly reveal which genetic factors and cell types are involved in psoriasis pathology," Won said. "We expect our findings to serve as a key milestone in developing personalized immune-modulating treatments and new drugs tailored to individual patients."
Publication details
Hyeonbin Jo et al, Integration of GWAS and single-cell analysis for psoriasis identifies disease-associated cell subtypes and therapeutic targets, Nature Communications (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-77309-2
Journal information: Nature Communications
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DermatologyClinical geneticsAllergy and immunology Provided by Sungkyunkwan University Who's behind this story?
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