Mycophenolic acid in dermatology a century after its discovery |
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Authors: | Sarah J Strathie Page Clare P Tait |
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Institution: | 1. Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia;2. Department of Dermatology, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia |
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Abstract: | Mycophenolic acid was first discovered in 1913 and first used clinically in the 1970s as an immunosuppressant to prevent organ transplantation rejection. It was later used in the treatment of psoriasis. However due to its side‐effect profile and fears over its carcinogenic potential it was abandoned. From the late 1990s a prodrug, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), was developed and more recently, enteric‐coated mycophenolate sodium (EC‐MPS), both of which have gained increasing use in the field of dermatology for a variety of skin conditions. This review discusses the pharmacology, mechanisms of action, side‐effects and current clinical applications in dermatology of MMF and EC‐MPS. |
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Keywords: | dermatology dermatomyositis lichen planopilaris lichen planus mycophenolate mofetil review mycophenolate mofetil mycophenolic acid pemphigoid pemphigus psoriasis |
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