Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Emerging Tech
  3. Features

Could 23andMe’s new pharmaceutical friends finally find a fix for psoriasis?

Will Nicol
By
23andMe
Eric Baradat/Getty Images

In the postindustrial world, human populations are more dispersed than ever, but one of the effects of migration is that the great rifts of time and geography can leave people feeling disconnected from their ancestors. It’s no surprise then that so many people have submitted samples of their genetics to services like 23andMe, which collect these samples and evaluate them, offering insights into health and even the geographic regions their ancestors came from. Tens of millions have people have used these services, but the market for them seems to have cooled off.

If the demand for home genetic tests doesn’t bounce back, 23andMe may have a different path forward. The company has built a Therapeutics team, and since 2015 this team has used the genetic data provided by consenting customers — the company claims 80 percent of consent to the research — to develop drugs for treating specific health issues. The company has partnered with Spanish pharmaceutical company Almirall to develop an antibody that could help deal with some particularly nasty diseases.

This article is part of our series, Innovation through Collaboration
Collaboration is humanity’s superpower. It has enabled some of the most significant advances the world has ever seen, and in this series, we’ll showcase some of the most incredible and inspiring examples of collaboration happening right now.
Event Horizon Telescope

What is IL-36? What health problems can it cause

The antibody in question is designed “to block all three members of the IL-36 cytokine subfamily … a part of the IL-1 cytokine family, which is associated with multiple inflammatory diseases.” If that sounds overly science-y and ominous, here’s a breakdown what exactly those terms mean.

Related

Cytokines are proteins that cells secrete, and they affect communication between cells, for a variety of purposes. Interleukin-36 (IL-36) is a particular group of cytokines, but what exactly do they do?

23andMe has engineered an antibody that it says can block IL-36 cytokines.

“The highest IL-36 activities probably are found at barrier sites of an organism (skin, lungs, and intestines),” according to a review published in Frontiers in Immunology. “This indicates the importance of IL-36 cytokines in terms of protecting the body from the environment at its interfaces … The recognition of [these cytokines ] leads to the activation of pro-inflammatory pathways resulting in a higher anti-microbial activity of corresponding cells.”

Instigators of inflammation

Il-36 cytokines help cause inflammation, the red, swollen condition you might experience when you have an infection. Although irritating, inflammation does serve an important purpose as the body’s response to injuries or infection by things like bacteria. That redness and hot feeling you feel is the result of increased blood flow to the affected spot, as your body pumps more cells in to deal with the situation. Even the pain of inflammation serves a purpose, since “If the inflammation hurts, you tend to protect the affected part of the body,” according to the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care.

How Psoriasis works

As important as it is, inflammation can be a problem, particularly when it is chronic, or when the immune system is firing off without need. This can lead to health problems, and with IL-36 cytokines in particular, such problems can manifest as skin conditions like psoriasis, a skin condition that causes patches of scaly skin. As Harvard Medical School explains, psoriasis occurs when “White blood cells called T-helper lymphocytes become overactive, producing excess amounts of cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-2, and interferon-gamma. In turn, these chemicals trigger inflammation in the skin and other organs.”

How does an antibody help?

Given the role cytokines can play in skin conditions, neutralizing them can help alleviate such diseases, and that’s what 23andMe’s antibody is meant to do. Antibodies are the proteins that the immune system uses to thwart bacteria and viruses by interfering with crucial mechanisms of those agents. Antibodies can also interfere with cytokines, blocking them from inciting inflammation.

Using its customer’s genetic data, 23andMe has engineered an antibody that it says can block IL-36 cytokines, and by teaming up with a dermatology-focused pharmaceutical company like Almirall, it’s possible this could help psoriasis sufferers worldwide.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Could Ohio State University's super thin woven circuitry usher in a new era for wearable tech?
Embroidered circle antenna e-textile polymer

When it comes to wearable tech, the general consensus is that in order to succeed, wearables will have to fall more in the category of tech-enabled fashion than inconvenient gadgets you reluctantly attach to your body. That’s why a team of researchers at Ohio State University (OSU) developed electronic circuitry as thin as a regular thread, and are using it to make smart textiles. The team's delicate textile circuits could usher in the future of smart jeans, antenna-packing sweaters, or even fitness-tracking workout clothes.

Related: Find your perfect fit. See here for the latest in wearable technology

Read more
Massive genetic study from 23andMe suggests there might be a ‘morning person’ gene
dna testing 23andme morning person gene woman coffee tea

You may identify as a morning person or a night owl, but there's a chance that your waking schedule is actually dictated by genetics, not personal choice. Genetic analytics company 23andMe released a study that suggests there are DNA properties that boost the human tendency to be a morning person.

The 23andMe study, which was recently published in Nature Communications, has identified 15 genetic markers that are directly correlated with whether or not you’re a morning person. Researchers worked with data from more than 89,000 participants around the world, which is a testament to the global appeal of DNA testing through companies like 23andMe. Participants used at-home DNA kits to collect saliva samples, and the 23andMe researchers cross-referenced specific DNA markers with each individual’s personal information.

Read more
23andMe receives limited approval from FDA to work in US
23andme returns to america kit

23andMe has received limited approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to start offering its health screening tool in the country. The approval comes two years after the genetics testing firm were removed from the American market, due to apparent accuracy and interpretation concerns.

23andMe will be able to offer 35 of the 250 tests inside of the United States. Information on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson's diseases, which shows if your genetics have any signs of picking up the disease, will still be unavailable. The company has not said if it plans to push the FDA to approve more of the tests in the near future.

Read more