Chronic skin diseases like psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and vitiligo, characterized by long-term courses, frequent relapses, and complex management, severely affect patients’ lives. This review summarizes their epidemiology, pathogenesis, and therapeutic strategies, focusing on elucidating the core synergistic roles of cytokines including interleukin (IL)-17, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). Comparative analysis reveals overlapping genetic, immune, and environmental factors. Current therapeutic approaches have limitations, whereas targeted biologics, especially novel biologics developed using gene editing and cell therapy technologies to achieve precise immune modulation, demonstrate tremendous potential. Cross-disease immune investigations hold substantial value: (1) The identification of common targets to uncover shared immunoregulatory features, cross-regulatory patterns of key signaling pathways, and common disease targets amenable to drug repurposing. (2) The advancement of precision medicine through mechanism-based treatment approaches, such as broad-spectrum inhibitors and optimized combination therapies. (3) To guide drug development of individualized treatments using novel therapeutics by providing crucial insights into skin immunology. This research facilitates the shift from “disease-classification-based management” to “immune phenotype-directed therapeutics,” supporting the development of novel biologics and individualized strategies.
Ma et al. (2026) studied this question.