Researchers find cause, therapies for rosacea

Researchers have solved the centuries-old riddle regarding the causes rosacea. In doing so, they have also outlined a clear path for the first effective treatments to cure the splotchy skin patches that afflict 14 million people in the U.S. alone. Dr. Richard Gallo, chairman of dermatology at U.C. San Diego, says that rosacea is caused by a concentration of an abnormally processed protein called cathelicidin. Working with biopsies and confirming their conclusions with animal studies, the researchers determined that the condition was triggered by the presence of cathelicidin along with a molecule that transforms the protein from an inactive to active form. According to Gallo, drug developers may focus on inhibiting the production of the protein's precursor as a way of curing the affliction.

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