The effects of tildrakizumab in the epigenetic aging deviation of psoriasis

BACKGROUNDWhile biologic therapies targeting interleukin-23 control cutaneous inflammation in psoriasis, their impact on epigenetic aging has not been previously demonstrated.

OBJECTIVESTo evaluate the effects of tildrakizumab treatment in the epigenetic aging deviation of moderate-to severe psoriasis.

METHODSIn an open-label 52-week clinical trial, 20 adults with psoriasis were treated with tildrakizumab-asmn 100 mg injections until week 28. Ten age-matched controls without psoriasis were enrolled. Genome-wide DNA methylation was profiled in peripheral blood leukocyte DNA (MethylationEPICv2.0, Illumina) to calculate epigenetic aging clocks predictive of all-cause-mortality, phenotypic age, chronological age, pace of aging, and telomere length. Epigenetic age deviation was calculated as the residuals against chronological age.

RESULTSPsoriasis patients had increased epigenetic age deviation in clocks predictive of mortality: PCGrimAge (P = .008), cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) PTPCGrimAge3 (P = .019), CpGPTGrimAge3 (P = .019), GrimAge2 (P = .049). PCGrimAge was reversed by 0.3 years (week 28, P = .005) and 0.5 years (week 52, P = .04) after the use of tildrakizumab-asmn. The pace of aging was increased in psoriasis patients: DunedinPACE (P = .049).

LIMITATIONSPilot study (small sample size).

CONCLUSIONSPsoriasis patients presented accelerated epigenetic aging in mortality-predictive clocks. Treatment with tildrakizumab-asmn (interleukin-23 inhibition) showed partial reversal of those clocks in 28 weeks. (Funded by Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT05110313).

Abstract from PubMed