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Skin Barrier Dysfunction in Contact Dermatitis and Atopic Dermatitis-Treatment Implications

  • Urticaria and Atopic Dermatitis (M Furue and T Nakahara, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Treatment Options in Allergy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of review

A variety of skin diseases are associated with impaired barrier function. The crucial pillars in therapy of previously mentioned conditions are avoidance of triggers, skin protection and individually adapted medical therapy. Until recently, besides of topical corticosteroids, the treatment options were limited. However, a variety of new therapies of skin barrier-related skin diseases became available over the last years. Our goal was to investigate new findings and treatment options in skin diseases with barrier dysfunction, emphasizing on contact dermatitis, hand eczema and atopic dermatitis.

Recent findings

Besides of new relatively nonspecific anti-inflammatory therapies, such as topical calcineurin inhibitors, crisaborole and delgocitinib, also highly specific targeted treatments are currently under investigation, and some already available on the market. Worth mentioning is dupilumab, the first biologic drug approved for treatment of atopic dermatitis, but used also off-label for treatment of hand eczema. There are ongoing trials investigating tralokinumab and lebrikizumab for atopic dermatitis therapy. Anti-IL-31 monoclonal antibodies were reported to improve atopic dermatitis-related pruritus.

Summary

This review focuses on new findings and treatment options for skin diseases with barrier dysfunction regarding their efficacy, safety profile and mechanism of action.

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Author information

Author notes

  1. H. Aviv MD

    Present address: Department of Dermatology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Dermatology, Queens’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada

    T. Herzinger MD & S. Molin MD

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  1. H. Aviv MD
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Correspondence to S. Molin MD.

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Conflict of interest

Sonja Molin and Thomas Herzinger have received honoraria as advisor and/or speaker and/or participated in clinical trials from Leo Pharma, Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline. Hannah Aviv declares that she has no conflict of interest.

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Aviv, H., Herzinger, T. & Molin, S. Skin Barrier Dysfunction in Contact Dermatitis and Atopic Dermatitis-Treatment Implications. Curr Treat Options Allergy 7, 390–402 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40521-020-00264-w

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