Therapeutic Interference: A Step Closer for Pachyonychia Congenita?

Development of therapeutic siRNAs for pachyonychia congenita.

Pachyonychia congenita (PC) is an autosomal-dominant keratin disorder where the most painful, debilitating aspect is plantar keratoderma. PC is caused by mutations in one of four keratin genes; however, most patients carry K6a mutations. Knockout mouse studies suggest that ablation of one of the several K6 genes can be tolerated owing to compensatory expression of the others. Here, we have deve...

Therapeutic siRNAs for dominant genetic skin disorders including pachyonychia congenita.

The field of science and medicine has experienced a flood of data and technology associated with the human genome project. Over 10,000 human diseases have been genetically defined, but little progress has been made with respect to the clinical application of this knowledge. A notable exception to this exists for pachyonychia congenita (PC), a rare, dominant-negative keratin disorder. The establ...

Pachyonychia Congenita in a Toddler

Pachyonychia congenita: A rare genodermatosis

Pachyonychia congenita (PC) is a rare genodermatosis with only 450 cases reported since 1906. It is of two types, type I due to mutation in genes 6a and 16, and 6b and 17 in type II with an autosomal dominant inheritance in both types. A 22 yr old female patient presented in our OPD with hypertrophy of finger and toe nails, palmoplantar keratoderma, oral punctuate leukokeratosis, hyperhidrosis ...

Treatment of pachyonychia congenita.

There are currently no specific treatments for pachyonychia congenita (PC). Available treatments generally are directed at specific manifestations of the disorder, and an effective treatment plan must recognize that different patients are more or less troubled by different manifestations of the disease. Treatment for all aspects of PC has been less than completely satisfactory. Very few studies...