Aquaporin 3 inhibition Attenuates Imiquimod-Induced Psoriatic Symptoms in a Murine Model

Background: Aquaporin 3 (AQP3) is highly expressed in both keratinocytes and T cells within psoriatic skin. Previous studies have demonstrated that AQP3 knockout mice show reduced development of psoriatic symptoms in murine models. This study aims to evaluate the effect of AQP3 inhibition on psoriasis progression. Methods and results: AQP3 conditional knockout mice were generated to assess the role of AQP3 expression in keratinocytes and T cells in psoriasis pathogenesis. In an imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis model, psoriatic symptoms were mitigated only in mice with keratinocyte-specific AQP3 deletion. Additionally, treatment with an anti-AQP3 monoclonal antibody (mAb) significantly reduced IMQ-induced psoriasis symptoms in wild-type mice. Conclusions: AQP3 inhibition presents a promising approach for the treatment of psoriasis.