Keloids, those bothersome raised scars, can be a painful and persistent problem for many people. But what if there was a simple, non-invasive solution to this chronic issue? Dr. Emma Guttman-Yassky and her team from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have discovered a potential game-changer using Dupixent, a medication more commonly used to treat eczema.

Traditionally, keloids have been treated as abnormal scar tissue, a mishap in the body’s healing process where too much collagen is produced, creating these unsightly, often painful scars. However, Dr. Guttman-Yassky’s research suggests a different view: keloids might be an inflammatory condition, similar to how our bodies react during allergies or eczema.

In a fascinating turn of events, Dr. Guttman-Yassky treated a patient who had both severe eczema and keloids. The patient was given Dupixent every two weeks to manage eczema. Seven months later, not only did the eczema improve, but one of his keloids disappeared entirely, and the other significantly reduced in size. The patient also experienced relief from pain and itching associated with the keloids.

This unexpected success led Dr. Guttman-Yassky to investigate further. She found that keloids may not just be about scar tissue gone wild, but might involve the immune system as well. Specific immune molecules, which Dupixent targets, were found to be increased in keloid tissue.

Currently, the best treatment options for keloids are surgery and radiation, which carry risks especially for African American patients who are more likely to develop keloids after trauma or surgery. Dr. Guttman-Yassky’s research offers a fresh perspective by suggesting that a treatment like Dupixent, which targets the immune system, could provide a non-invasive alternative.

The team is now planning larger studies to confirm these findings and explore the effectiveness of Dupixent in treating keloids, potentially providing a much-needed solution for those suffering from this condition.

With continued research, there is hope that keloids could soon be managed more effectively, giving relief to many who struggle with this painful and disfiguring condition.