Amphiregulin and epidermal hyperplasia: amphiregulin is required to maintain the psoriatic phenotype of human skin grafts on severe combined immunodeficient mice.

Overexpression of amphiregulin has been shown to induce psoriasiform changes in the skin of transgenic mice shortly after birth. Therefore, amphiregulin has been suggested as a target for anti-psoriatic therapy. To test this theory, a humanized monoclonal antibody capable of neutralizing human amphiregulin was examined for anti-proliferative effects in the human skin-severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mouse transplant model.