REVIEWS  PEMPHIGUS 

Giornale Italiano di Dermatologia e Venereologia 2007 August;142(4):327-35

Copyright © 2007 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Molecular signaling cascades in pemphigus

Lee H. E. ¹, Berkowitz P. ¹, Rubenstein D. S. ^{1, 2}

¹ Department of Dermatology University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA 2 Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

Pemphigus is a group of human autoimmune blistering diseases in which autoantibodies induce disease. The mechanism by which these pathogenic IgG cause loss of cell-cell adhesion is under active investigation. Activation by pemphigus vulgaris IgG of keratinocyte transmembrane and subsequent intracellular signaling pathways is emerging as an important component of pemphigus IgG mediated acantholysis. Importantly, targeting components of this signal transduction cascade with small molecular weight inhibitors may provide additional therapeutic options in the treatment of this family of devastating diseases.