Methodologies, tools and techniques to study fatty acids’ mechanisms of action in atopic dermatitis

Abstract

Atopic dermatitis is an inflammatory skin disease characterized by skin lesions, xerosis and the prime symptom, pruritis. Sufferers of atopic dermatitis experience high levels of discomfort in their daily lives. Numerous treatments are currently available that can help control this disease such as corticosteroids and topical applications. But the side effects and inefficient route of administration of these treatments sometimes restrict their prolonged use by patients. Lypanosys has developed an oral drug LYP-010, a therapy which has been tested to be safe with minimal side effects. The active ingredients in this drug, saturated fatty acids, are commonly used as nutritional supplements. LYP-010 has shown strong suggestions of efficacy in reducing atopic dermatitis but the drug’s mechanism of action is not understood. Understanding the mechanism will assist LYP-010’s commercial development by attracting investors, establishing optimal dosing regimens and exploring its potential in other clinical indications related to atopic dermatitis. The aim of this thesis was to identify methodologies and laboratory techniques that can assist future LYP-010 mechanism studies. However, elucidating the full mechanism of action of LYP-010 is outside the scope of this research. A systematic review was conducted to identify appropriate methodologies for LYP-010 testing. Findings showed that there are several cell based assays developed for fatty acids, one of which had a well refined methodology suitable for LYP-010 as it was used to understand inflammation. Other relevant assays involved canine atopic dermatitis as human surrogates or food screens for inflammatory markers. Further research findings also discussed the potential mechanism of certain fatty acids (similar to LYP-010 active ingredients) in inflammation, all of which will assist Lypanosys.