Atopic Dermatitis, also known as eczema, is a multifactorial and environmental skin disease that affects 10%-20% children and 2%-10% adults worldwide. Common symptoms include itching, swelling and inflamed skin.
The filaggrin (FLG) is a major epidermal protein that ensures the correct formations and function of the skin barrier. FLG can be broken down into natural moisturizing factors (NMF), including urocanic acid (UCA) and pyrrolidone carboxylic acid (PCA), which keeps the skin hydrated. It is a significant genetic risk factor for AD.
FLG mutations occur in 15%-40% of AD patients, which essentially leads to improperly developed skin cells, lowering skin barrier integrity and hydration.
There are currently no cure for eczema. Topical steroids offer temporary relief but bring long-term risks including thinning skin, dependency and despair. Biologics are very expensive in price. Current therapy only focuses on the downstream inflammatory responses but fails to catch up to the problem—skin barrier dysfunction caused by FLG deficiency.
Therefore, we propose to synthesise artificial FLG with E. coli to help AD patients improve their skin barrier integrity and hydration.
As jojoba oil is known for its similarity to human sebum, making it a popular ingredient in skincare for moisturizing, balancing, and potentially treating various skin conditions, we hope to use it as a base for patients to apply the artificial FLG topically in the future.
