Inhibiting proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCKS9) may lower the risk of psoriasis, and thus, PCKS9 inhibitors—lipid-lowering drugs—may have a place in the psoriasis treatment armamentarium, according to a report published by Zhao et al in JAMA Dermatology. A two-sample Mendelian randomization study was performed using data from population-level genome-wide association studies of psoriasis (from the UK Biobank and FinnGen studies) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, from the Global Lipids Genetics Consortium). The researchers found PCSK9 inhibition is causally associated with a reduced risk of psoriasis, independent of circulating LDL levels, as the team did not observe an overall association of LDL with psoriasis risk. Based on these findings, the team noted that existing PCKS9 inhibitors—such as alirocumab and evolocumab, currently used to treat high cholesterol—may be used to prevent or even treat psoriasis in the future, though they noted that further studies are needed to confirm those hypotheses.
May 24, 2023