Small molecule inhibitor of the Wnt pathway (SM04755) as a potential topical treatment for psoriasis

Background: Psoriasis (PSO) is an autoimmune disease causing patches of thick, inflamed, scaly skin due to excessive proliferation of skin cells. Wnt signaling plays an important role in PSO, regulating inflammation and keratinocyte proliferation. SM04755, a novel, topical small-molecule Wnt pathway inhibitor was previously shown to inhibit inflammation and keratinocyte proliferation in vitro and in an IMQ-induced mouse PSO model. In this study, the effects of SM04755 on inflammation and skin health were evaluated in a model using reconstitution of ICR scid mice with minor histocompatibility mismatched naive CD4+ T lymphocytes, which more closely resembles human PSO pathophysiology.