THE skin of people with eczema fails to produce enough of two key molecules that kill bacteria. That could explain why so many people with the disorder develop severe skin infections. It may also force a rethink of precisely what eczema is.
Normal skin produces a variety of chemicals to fight off bacteria and fungi, including two proteins called LL-37 and HBD-2. Donald Leung’s team at the National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver, Colorado, has found that people with the common form of eczema, atopic dermatitis, produce only a tenth as much LL-37 and HBD-2 as people with…
