Science / Medicine : Eczema Treatment Studied

A high-blood-pressure drug has shown promise in mouse studies as an anti-inflammatory ointment, possibly offering a new way to treat eczema, allergic reactions and other skin problems.

Much more research is needed to evaluate the drug, but the findings indicate amiloride or agents like it may offer a safer, more effective alternative to existing treatments such as steroid creams, the researchers said.

“Even if this doesn’t work in humans, it may lead to the development of a new class of agents that are anti-inflammatory,” said Dr. Richard Granstein, a dermatologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

Granstein and his colleagues expect to begin testing the drug on humans within six months, probably on patients who have skin allergies, he said.

If effective, the drug may offer an alternative to steroid creams currently used to treat a variety of skin conditions, the most common of which are allergic reactions like poison ivy and eczema. Steroid creams have a variety of side effects, including thinning of the skin and a form of acne.

Amiloride may also have side effects, such as thinning of the skin, Granstein said, but the researchers suspect that any side effects would be minimal because the activity of the drug is short-lived, he said.