Eczema and Sunflowers?

Sunflowers May be Key in Skin Disorders

Many are familiar with the allergy march- the sequence of symptoms, often beginning in infancy, that start with eczema and move into asthma and allergies. For a detailed explanation of  the progression of the allergy march, check out Dr. Eugene Weinberg's article in the February 2010 CME Journal.

Eczema can severely affect quality of life with its itchy rashes so I was pleased to come across research being done at Queensland University of Technology in Australia. PhD student Simon de Veer and his colleagues are looking at treating eczema with peptides found in sunflowers. By engineering these peptides, researchers are designing inhibitors, which Mr. de Veer claims, are the missing piece of the puzzle for sufferers of skin conditions.

The research will continue to be evaluated over an eight month period. Researchers are hopeful that this study will provide new treatments for sufferers of skin disease. Stay tuned!