DNA Samples Released For Future Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Studies

DNA samples from the National Psoriasis Victor Henschel BioBank will be released for the first time for use in research, according to a press release.

The National Psoriasis Victor Henschel BioBank wa created by the National Psoriasis Foundation in 2006. The bank holds a colleaction of DNA samples and clinical information used by scientists to advance the field of psoriasis genetics.

The BioBank was created to honor Victor Henschel, a member of the psoriasis community who lived with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis for 35 years.

The samples will be released to aid research on psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Scientists may use the sample to uncover information on the genetics of psoriatic disease and its causes.

Among those first to receive the samples is James T. Elder, MD, PhD, professor of molecular genetic dermatology in the Department of Dermatology at the University of Michigan Health System, and his team. The group received the first 1,250 BIOBank DNA samples. The team will try to identify new genes that increase an individual’s risk factor for developing psoriasis and examine the connection between psoriasis and other autoimmune diseases, including Chron’s disease.

“The BioBank is a critical resource for bringing us one step closer to a cure for psoriasis, and we are honored to partner with Elder and his team on this landmark project,” said Rick Seiden, chair of the National Psoriasis Foundation Board of Trustees, in a press release. “This endeavor would not be possible without the hundreds of people with and without psoriatic disease who donated DNA over the past four years. We thank all of them for their vital contribution to psoriasis research.”