Proposing Potential Atopy Treatment Using New Concept DNA Nanoparticles
Ju-Yeong Lee, Professor at the Department of Pharmacy

We live in an era where there are more than 1 million patients suffering from atopy. The Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service revealed that 933,979 people visited the hospital for atopic dermatitis last year. Atopy results from a complex combination of causes, including genes, environmental factors, and immunodeficiency. The atopy medication that is currently available in the market comes with various side effects with minimal effects, and there is not yet a fundamental solution to the illness. However, the research team led by Professor Ju-Yeong Lee at our university’s Department of Pharmacy has recently made waves by proposing the potential for treating atopic dermatitis using DNA nanoparticles based on a new concept.

Patients suffering from atopic dermatitis experience difficulties with daily activities, such as sleeping or bathing, due to itchy symptoms, and even experience mental health issues, including anxiety or depression. The cost of treatment is also far from negligible. Because the precise cause of onset or treatment method has not yet been discovered, many patients often attempt to use medication or treatment with no scientific basis in order to address their symptoms. The research team led by Professor Ju-Yeong Lee from the Department of Pharmacy is under much spotlight after developing a new substance to become a new pharmacological candidate that may treat the root cause of atopic dermatitis. The research team collected “X-DNA” substances that trigger the immune system through nanoparticles. They found that the substance was delivered more effectively when applied onto the skin and that atopic dermatitis was improved to normal levels. They discovered that Th1 cells are activated when X-DNA goes inside the skin and causes dendritic cells to mature, which causes Th1 and Th2 cells to restore the balance of immune functions, thereby relieving the symptoms of dermatitis. In other words, they found a way to restore immune imbalance, which has been pointed out as the cause of atopic dermatitis, by using DNA nanoparticles. Medical researchers have predicted that the number of patients with atopic dermatitis will exceed 130 million across the world by the year 2022. Hence, the achievements from Professor Ju-Yeong Lee’s research team are a ray of hope for patients suffering from atopic dermatitis and their family members.

“Atopy, acne, and psoriasis are grouped together as skin ailments, but the solution is different for each illness.  Atopic dermatitis is a disease that occurs due to abnormalities in the immune system. People may believe that treatment will become easier once balance is restored to the immune system, but DNA substances do not get absorbed into the skin very effectively and are highly prone to decomposition, which makes it particularly difficult to treat. Injections or oral medication have been used as the main form of treatment. However, injections are difficult to continuously administer to children and oral medication is less effective. Steroid ointments that are typically prescribed cause the skin to become thinner and expand the blood vessels, which sets the body up for secondary infection. This is why we set out to develop a new type of ointment that can replace these methods.”