University of ManchesterEczema is known to cause swelling, irritation and itching of the skin. Although various therapies are available at hand, eczema can be very stubborn. Investigators from the University of Manchester have seemingly developed a unique eczema cream. After examining the cream on 25 individuals the experts will be using internationally-recognized clinical tests to estimate the effectiveness of the cream in alleviating eczema symptoms.

While testing the newly developed medication researchers will let participants apply the cream in affected areas of their skin for three months. It was ascertained that this test will be initiated only if trials on oral version of the drug are able to reduce the symptoms by 35 percent in a month. The scientists aim to produce novel treatments and undertake clinical studies.

Dr Neil Gibbs,lead author of the research, said, “Eczema is a long-term skin disease that affects about 20% of infants and 5% of adults in the UK. There is currently no known cure for the disease which results in a variety of symptoms, including redness or swelling and cracked, dry, itchy or bleeding skin. In recent years, it has become more widely recognised that one of the most important features of skin conditions like eczema is a reduced ability of the skin to protect against dirt, infections and other nasties that get in and cause inflammation. This loss of normal skin barrier function is what our new treatments are targeting; the idea is that if we help the skin of eczema patients to repair itself it becomes less ‘leaky’ and more resistant to potential contaminants.”

It has been anticipated that the ingredients in cream formulation will display positive results. The experts are apparently looking forward to develop a safe cream for eczema treatment.

The investigation is funded by the University of Manchester Intellectual Property (UMIP) company and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).