Biologic Treatment for Skin Conditions

Dermatologists enlist your immune system in the fight against conditions such as psoriasis.

Your immune system sometimes needs a little push to help fight disease. That’s where biologic therapies come in. Our dermatology team uses advanced chemical solutions to jump-start certain processes in your immune system.

In dermatology, biologic therapies can benefit patients with moderate to severe psoriasis and those with psoriatic arthritis, a painful condition that causes the joints of body to swell. These therapies may help you find relief faster and for longer periods than some standard treatments.

How can biologic therapies treat my psoriasis?

Psoriasis develops from a series of faulty signals in the body’s immune system. For reasons we don’t yet understand, the immune system signals white blood cells called T-cells to activate. These T-cells then release chemicals called cytokines. The cytokines cause skin cells to grow at a rapid rate.

Continuing rapid skin cell growth leads to thick, scaly, red and/or white patches on the skin. Some patients have only isolated patches of psoriasis, while others have this condition all over.

Biologic therapies stimulate the immune system to slow or stop this cycle of rapid skin cell growth. Your doctor will inject a special chemical solution into the muscles or skin once or twice a week over several weeks.