Journal of Clinical & Experimental Dermatology Research
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9554
ISSN: 2155-9554
Lionel Fry
Imperial College London, UK
Keynote: J Clin Exp Dermatol Res
Psoriasis is considered to be autoimmune. This is based on cross-reactive peptides, between streptococcal and keratin peptides. However studies have reported that these peptides react with CD8 T cells. But it is CD4 T cells which initiate psoriasis. Recently it has been reported that Streptococcus is the commonest organism found in the skin of psoriasis. It is now proposed that a streptococcal peptidoglycan is the antigen which initiates and maintains psoriasis. This is supported by the polymorphism of the genes reported in psoriasis. The genes found in psoriasis are those concerned with innate immunity and those concerned with PGRP-3 and 4.
Lionel Fry has studied Medicine at King’s College Hospital Medical School. He was trained first at St John's, then St. Thomas' and finally at The London Hospital. Whilst at London he was awarded two MRC grants: One to study psoriasis and the other to study dermatitis herpetiformis. In 1969 he was appointed as a Consultant Dermatologist at St. Mary's Hospital in London. In 1997, he became a Professor of Dermatology at Imperial College London, UK. He is continuing his work on the role of microorganisms in psoriasis with colleagues at The Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. His research interests have focused on dermatitis herpetiformis and psoriasis and he is currently investigating the microbiome of psoriasis.
Email: l.fry@imperial.ac.uk