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 focused on integrating genetics, genomics, and disease biology to understand complex skin diseases such as psoriasis, alopecia areata, and vitiligo. The symposium highlighted the success of genome-wide association studies in identifying regulatory signals and emphasized gene regulatory mechanisms, single-cell analysis, and the interplay between genetics and environment in disease pathogenesis. Key discussions included Dr. Christiano's work on alopecia areata leading to successful JAK inhibitor trials, Dr. Spritz's identification of 52 vitiligo susceptibility loci, and the role of the microbiome in skin diseases. The event concluded with a roundtable on future research, emphasizing the integration of genetics and environment in developing targeted therapies.