Topical ivermectin improves allergic skin inflammation.

Background: Ivermectin (IVM) is widely used in both human and veterinary medicine to treat parasitic infections. Recent reports have suggested that IVM could also have anti-inflammatory properties.

Methods: Here, we investigated the activity of IVM in a murine model of atopic dermatitis (AD) induced by repeated exposure to the allergen Dermatophagoides farinae, and in standard cellular immunological assays.

Results: Our results show that topical IVM improved allergic skin inflammation by reducing the priming and activation of allergen-specific T cells, as well as the production of inflammatory cytokines. While IVM had no major impact on the functions of dendritic cells in vivo and in vitro, IVM impaired T-cell activation, proliferation, and cytokine production following polyclonal and antigen-specific stimulation.

Conclusion: Altogether, our results show that IVM is endowed with topical anti-inflammatory properties that could have important applications for the treatment of T-cell-mediated skin inflammatory diseases.