The role of Toll: How therapies targeting Toll-like receptors treat skin diseases

Because upregulation of Toll-like receptor (TLR) expression has been observed in some skin diseases, the modulation of TLR function is an elegant therapeutic strategy. The TLR agonist imiquimod has already established utility in treating cutaneous viral pathogens and skin cancers, and all-trans retinoic acid has been shown to downregulate TLR expression. Perhaps the future development of drugs that block TLR activation might provide new treatment options for inflammatory skin diseases.

Section editor:Mike P. Philpott – Queen Mary School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London, UK