A new approach to psoriasis therapy: photoswitchable A3 adenosine receptor activation.

This Journal Club article discusses a recent study by López-Cano and collaborators, published in Journal of the American Chemical Society (López-Cano et al. Pharmacol Res 170:105731, 2021), which introduces a pioneering therapeutic approach for psoriasis based on systemic administration of a photoswitchable adenosine A3 receptor (A3R) agonist, MRS7787, to counteract psoriasis-relate skin alterations by topic exposure to light. The study presents a synthesis strategy, photochemical characterization, and functional evaluation of the compound, which provides light-controlled relief from IL-23-induced psoriatic skin lesions in the mouse ear, a corroborated animal model of psoriasis. The innovation offers insights into localized, time-specific, and reversible modulation of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) activity and has implications for drug discovery and optopharmacology, highlighting their potential for new strategies in treating skin-related diseases.