Meeting Report: 68th Montagna Symposium on the Biology of Skin 'Decoding Complex Skin Diseases: Integrating Genetics, Genomics, and Disease Biology'

The 68th Montagna Symposium on the Biology of Skin, held in October 2019, focused on integrating genetics, genomics, and disease biology to understand complex skin diseases such as psoriasis, alopecia areata, vitiligo, lupus erythematosus, atopic dermatitis, and food allergy. Key discussions included gene regulatory mechanisms, single-cell analysis, in vivo systems for disease pathogenesis, and the interplay between genetics and environment. Notable findings included the significant role of gene regulatory networks, with 90% of protein-coding genes showing cis-eQTL effects and 30% showing trans-eQTL effects. Dr. Christiano's work on alopecia areata highlighted the genetic basis of the disease and the successful use of JAK inhibitors in clinical trials. The symposium concluded with a translational roundtable to explore long-term disease control and potential cures.