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Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, and its prevalence is increasing. AD usually elicits skin barrier dysfunction, dry skin and itching. As the mechanisms of AD remain unknown, there is an urgent need to find effective therapies. Because of the diversity and complexity of marine environments, the discovery of drugs from marine organisms as novel therapeutic agents for human diseases has seen renewed interest. Dihydroaustrasulfone alcohol (WA-25), the synthetic precursor of austrasulfone, which is a natural product isolated from a Formosan soft coral, has been shown to possess many therapeutic effects in our previous studies. However, the detailed mechanisms and therapeutic effects of WA-25 on AD are incompletely understood. We performed in vitro and in vivo studies to examine the effects of WA-25 on AD. We showed that WA-25 blocks inflammation and oxidative stress. Simultaneously, we also found that WA-25 reduces the AD scores and AD-induced transepidermal water loss (TEWL), scratching behavior, and alloknesis. WA-25 is more effective in cases of AD than are the drugs that are currently used clinically. Importantly, we also found that when nucleophosmin (NPM) was inhibited or when its expression was reduced, the anti-inflammatory and anti-AD effects of WA-25 were blocked. These data suggest that NPM plays dual roles in inflammation and AD. Overall, these results suggest that WA-25 is a potential anti-inflammatory and AD therapeutic agent that is modulated by NPM.
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