Skin as a Psychoneuroendocrine Immunology Microcosm: The New Frontier of Low Dose Therapy With Cytokines and Growth Factors in the Systemic Treatment of Chronic Autoimmune Inflammatory Diseases in Dermatology

Abstract

In recent years, the central role of signaling molecules, such as hormones, cytokines and growth factors, has become evident in both physiological and pathological processes; these signaling molecules are the main regulating effectors of whole body biological functions, in accordance with the guiding principle of psychoneuroendocrine immunology (PNEI). Low dose medicine (LDM) represents an innovative medical approach in which the latest evidence in the fields of molecular biology, PNEI and nano-concentration pharmacology are merged. LDM suggests the use of low-doses of activated biological molecules in order to manage PNEI homeostasis, and this approach represents a new opportunity for the development of therapeutic strategies based on immune balancing interventions. Scientific evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of the LDM approach in the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris, and positive preliminary data regarding the oral administration of low dose activated cytokines for vitiligo and atopic dermatitis treatment, support the LDM-based therapeutic approach for many dermatological diseases.