Atopic dermatitis results when aberrant barrier function and immune activation 
occur within the skin. Standard therapies for atopic dermatitis have fallen 
short, prompting efforts to discover novel therapeutics for this disease. Of 
these, dupilumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody that inhibits the actions of 
both IL-4 and IL-13, has shown the greatest promise. Clinical trials of systemic 
dupilumab in moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis have demonstrated marked 
improvement in patient symptoms, including pruritus and clinically visible 
disease. Importantly, dupilumab treatment has been correlated with changes in 
the molecular signature of diseased skin, with reduction of both inflammatory 
and proliferative markers. Dupilumab recently received US FDA breakthrough 
therapy designation for atopic dermatitis, with ongoing trials in both adult and 
pediatric populations. Altogether, dupilumab has shed new light on the 
pathomechanisms driving atopic dermatitis and is making unprecedented advances 
towards highly effective control of this debilitating disease.