Background

Dermatomyositis (DM) is an autoimmune disease characterized by muscle weakness and skin rashes. Full remission of skin rashes can be difficult to achieve in treating DM, showing a poor understanding of the disease pathogenesis. Further, DM shares many characteristics with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) making the diseases difficult to distinguish and proper treatment to be prescribed.

Technology Overview

This technology consists of a five gene signature characteristic of DM skin lesions. Researchers found that expression levels of these five genes are commonly changed in samples from DM patients but not from CLE patients. This provides new diagnostic criteria to distinguish DM from CLE. Targeting of these genes may also provide new therapeutic targets for the treatment of DM.