UCSD biologists have uncovered a link between a protein involved in both diabetes and eczema ‘mdash; one that plays a critical role in the healing of surface wounds.
In the March 26 issue of the journal Nature, researchers reported that the protein, known as caspase 8, is deficient in humans with eczema and excessive in diabetics ‘mdash; a discovery that may explain why many diabetics suffer severe complications from minor cuts and scrapes, while those with eczema exhibit a chronic inflammation of the skin.
‘[Humans with] eczema and diabetics with complications from impaired wound healing are both rising dramatically, and we hope that our current efforts will contribute to alleviating the pain and suffering of the millions of people with these diseases,’ Colin Jamora, the assistant professor of biology who headed the research team, said in a statement.